By Muhammad Rafiq
LONDON/DUBAI: World Defense Show has announced that its exhibitor floorspace has completely sold out with five months to go before the opening of the second edition, which will be held between 4-8 Feb 2024, in Riyadh, KSA. In anticipation of increased demand, the show footprint at the bespoke exhibition site has been expanded by 25%, to include a third hall, but the event is still oversubscribed.
Andrew Pearcey, CEO World Defense Show, said: “We are delighted to announce that our exhibition space is completely sold out. If you are not already an exhibitor, hurry to register as a visitor to ensure you are able to participate in our exciting content programs, show features, live demos and to experience our unique Journey to the Future.”
Pearcey is also pleased with the truly international representation at the show next year which has 65 countries participating as exhibitors, of which 23 are appearing for the first time.
He said: “This further cements our position as the emerging global hub for the defense industry. Our inaugural event took place in 2022, at the tail end of the Covid epidemic when travel was still challenging for many people, and yet we still welcomed 65,000 visits from attendees from around the world, and announced more than SAR29.6 billion [US$7.89 billion] of deals signed over the four days. With the show running over five days and growing international interest in all that the Saudi defense market can offer, we expect to significantly increase the attendance and value of deals announced in 2024.”
There is a diverse array of opportunities for industry-wide networking to foster relationships and partnerships among the stakeholders across the defense and security supply chain.
WDS 2024 will see the return of the Delegations Program, matching high-ranking international government representatives to exhibitors looking to expand into their specific country markets, as well as the Meet the KSA Government program, which shares the latest developments on the Kingdom’s business guidelines, investment requirements and partnership processes to operate in line with the national defence industry’s overall objectives.
Those attending will have the opportunity to take part in the extended B2B Connect program. Pearcey added: “Our B2B Connect program is open to visitors and exhibitors. Running over three days, B2B Connect delivers a unique opportunity for credible suppliers to connect with global buyers and official delegations.”
New for WDS 2024 is the Space Arena, a dedicated section of the show which will have the latest space capabilities and technologies on show and aims to highlight the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s strategic ambitions in space and identify future space opportunities for both the Kingdom and international partners.
