Saudi Arabia’s first World Defense Show, part of a drive to localize the Kingdom’s military expenditure, opened to the public on Sunday morning.

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The show features nearly 600 exhibitors from more than 40 countries, and organizers predict that 30,000 people will attend.

It runs from Sunday to Wednesday at a purpose-built 800,000 square meter venue north of Riyadh.

The exhibition is due to be held every two years, and was organized by the Kingdom’s General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI).

Delegations from dozens of countries will visit pavilions featuring products and demonstrations from the hundreds of local and international exhibitors.

Exhibitors will display technology from air, land, sea, and space defense systems.

“The 6th of March will mark an important milestone in the Kingdom’s journey towards localizing 50 percent of its military expenditure by 2030,” said Ahmad al-Ohali, Governor of GAMI in a statement.

“We have seen overwhelming global interest for participating at World Defense Show’s first edition and we look forward to providing a conducive environment for networking and cross-border partnerships to drive innovation in the industry,” he added.

Daily themed panel discussions will delve into the details of the technology exhibited at the show.

There will also be a 20-minute cyber-defense show held six times a day at the Command and Control Center.

A Start-Up Zone will display some of the newest technologies offered by small and medium companies from around the world.

The final day of the show will open its doors to 5,000 talented Saudi students from the Kingdom’s STEM institutions for the Future Talent Program.

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