Because the World Protection Present (WDS) enters its third version, the occasion has moved decisively from launch section to world fixture. Talking throughout World Protection Present 2026, Mansour Al-Babtain, Vice President for Industrial Partnerships and Liaison on the World Protection Present, displays on the present’s rising worldwide stature, its position in advancing Saudi Arabia’s protection localization agenda, and the way WDS is positioning itself as a critical, built-in platform for long-term industrial and strategic collaboration.
Q1: World Protection Present has shortly established itself on the worldwide protection calendar. Out of your perspective, what defines this version of WDS?
This version displays maturity. World Protection Present is now not introducing itself to the worldwide protection neighborhood; it’s working as a completely established platform. What defines WDS 2026 is the size of engagement and the seriousness of intent we’re seeing throughout authorities, business, and worldwide delegations. Crucially, it stays the one world protection exhibition structured round 5 totally built-in domains: air, land, sea, house, and safety.
From the outset, the Present has been designed round integration — not solely throughout these 5 domains, however throughout folks, establishments, and business. That’s significantly seen this 12 months within the depth of dialogue, the standard of participation, and the outcomes rising all through the week.
Q2: Many world protection exhibitions concentrate on scale or spectacle. How does WDS distinguish itself in sensible phrases?
WDS distinguishes itself by way of operational realism and construction. It’s a purpose-built venue that enables firms and delegations to see capabilities working in practical circumstances, together with dwell air shows, land demonstrations, unmanned methods, and built-in content material packages, all inside a single setting.
This 12 months, that operational realism is additional enhanced by way of 4 new devoted zones: the Future Protection Lab, the Saudi Provide Chain Zone, the Unmanned Techniques Zone, and the Naval Zone. Every offers a targeted setting the place particular capabilities will be demonstrated, assessed, and mentioned in context.
That issues as a result of protection decision-making as we speak is more and more about methods working collectively, not standalone platforms. WDS strikes the dialog past brochures and static shows into one thing tangible and credible.
Q3: What does the extent of worldwide participation at WDS say about Saudi Arabia’s place within the world protection ecosystem as we speak?
It displays confidence. Worldwide firms and delegations take part the place they see long-term alternative and seriousness of objective. The breadth of participation at WDS — with exhibitors from greater than 80 nations, spanning established protection primes, expertise suppliers, SMEs, and innovators — alerts that Saudi Arabia is seen as a central and credible participant within the world protection and safety panorama.
Importantly, this participation isn’t symbolic. It’s structured round engagement, dialogue, and partnership exploration, which is what provides the Present its relevance past the exhibition halls.
This autumn: World Protection Present is carefully aligned with Imaginative and prescient 2030. How does that alignment translate in apply in the course of the Present?
Imaginative and prescient 2030 is finally about constructing sustainable functionality — financial, industrial, and human. WDS helps that by performing as a platform the place these parts intersect.
From an financial perspective, the Present contributes on to GDP and employment. The earlier version generated roughly SAR 500 million in GDP influence and supported greater than 4,600 jobs throughout occasion supply, companies, logistics, and the broader ecosystem. This 12 months builds on that trajectory, with the Present now spanning 273,000 sq. meters throughout 4 totally sold-out exhibition halls, alongside considerably expanded participation and programming.
On the similar time, WDS creates visibility and entry by connecting Saudi entities with worldwide companions, traders, and expertise suppliers inside a structured and clear setting.
Q5: Localization is a nationwide precedence, led by the Basic Authority for Navy Industries. What position does WDS play in supporting that agenda?
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WDS doesn’t outline localization coverage; that position sits clearly with the Basic Authority for Navy Industries. What WDS does is present the platform that allows these conversations to occur effectively and credibly.
The Kingdom has made substantial progress, reaching 24.89% protection localization by the top of 2024, demonstrating clear momentum towards the Imaginative and prescient 2030 goal of fifty%. WDS helps that trajectory by bringing collectively your complete ecosystem — Saudi business, worldwide firms, supply-chain gamers, expertise suppliers, traders, and decision-makers — in a single place.
Localization outcomes emerge from these interactions, however the worth of WDS lies in convening the fitting stakeholders and creating visibility round alternative at scale.
Q6: The Saudi Provide Chain Zone has been a visual characteristic at this 12 months’s Present. Why is that this essential from WDS’s perspective?
The Saudi Provide Chain Zone displays the sensible aspect of engagement. With 57 Saudi firms taking part, it creates a devoted setting the place Saudi SMEs and industrial gamers can join straight with worldwide primes, methods integrators, and potential companions.
From WDS’s perspective, it’s about creating structured visibility and entry, permitting conversations round functionality, partnership fashions, and supply-chain integration to occur effectively and transparently. The Zone facilitates provider qualification discussions, three way partnership exploration, and expertise collaboration pathways that help the broader localization agenda.
Whereas the Present doesn’t lead localization coverage, it performs an essential enabling position by bringing the ecosystem collectively in a single place.
Q7: Past exhibitions and demonstrations, how essential are the management and content material packages at WDS?
They’re essential. Protection as we speak is as a lot about technique, integration, and resilience as it’s about {hardware}. The management discussions and content material theaters present context, serving to individuals perceive how capabilities match into wider operational, financial, and geopolitical realities.
The packages deal with real-world challenges, together with multi-domain integration, operational resilience, AI and autonomous methods, cyber protection, and the shift towards co-development and localization. They elevate the standard of engagement by enabling structured exchanges between policymakers, business leaders, and innovators.
Q8: Expertise growth has featured strongly at WDS this 12 months. Why is that important?
Lengthy-term functionality will depend on folks. The Future Expertise Program displays a transparent recognition that protection ecosystems are constructed not solely on expertise, however on abilities, training, and human capital.
By exposing Saudi college students and younger professionals to actual business environments — together with engineering, superior manufacturing, innovation, and rising applied sciences — the Present helps workforce readiness and consciousness, complementing nationwide efforts to construct a future-ready expertise pipeline aligned with Imaginative and prescient 2030.
Q9: Out of your vantage level, what does success seem like for World Protection Present past headline bulletins?
Success is measured by continuity. It’s not nearly what’s introduced in the course of the week, however about what continues afterward — partnerships that progress, discussions that deepen, and relationships that evolve into long-term collaboration.
Earlier editions of WDS facilitated multi-billion-riyal agreements and industrial partnerships, lots of which have matured into operational packages, joint ventures, and expertise collaborations. That continuity is the true measure of influence.
Q10: Trying forward, how do you see World Protection Present evolving over the approaching editions?
The evolution of the Present will proceed to be guided by relevance relatively than measurement alone. As protection applied sciences, provide chains, and partnership fashions evolve, WDS will proceed adapting its packages, platforms, and construction to mirror these shifts.
The target stays constant: to offer a critical, worldwide platform that helps integration, industrial growth, and long-term collaboration, aligned with Saudi Arabia’s ambitions and the wants of the worldwide protection neighborhood.
