Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), the national defense and security champion, a PIF company, was honored with three Excellence Awards from the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) in recognition of its pivotal role in advancing defense localization and strengthening national capabilities. The recognition came during the Annual Military Industries Sector Gathering held in Riyadh, which brought together senior government officials, defense industry leaders, and investors from across the Kingdom and abroad.

The awards recognized three of SAMI’s subsidiaries, SAMI Alsalam Aerospace Industries, SAMI Advanced Electronics Company (SAMI AEC), and SAMI Aerospace Mechanics for their outstanding contributions to building a sustainable, competitive, and self-reliant defense ecosystem.

Through the Excellence in Defense Localization Awards, GAMI seeks to recognize organizations that demonstrate exceptional performance in localizing defense industries in line with Saudi Vision 2030. The awards are governed by transparent evaluation criteria and overseen by a specialized committee composed of representatives from multiple government entities and national programs.

SAMI Alsalam Aerospace Industries received the Excellence Award in Military Industry Localization under the Service Providers category, acknowledging its role in advancing national aviation capabilities and enhancing maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capacities within the Kingdom. SAMI Advanced Electronics Company (SAMI AEC) was honored in the Manufacturing Companies category for its contributions to building an advanced national defense industry, while SAMI Aerospace Mechanics was recognized in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) category for supporting localization and developing national industries led by specialized Saudi talent. 

These achievements highlight the collective impact of SAMI’s subsidiaries in developing a self-sustaining defense ecosystem, empowering Saudi talent, and accelerating technology transfer and industrial localization. It underscores SAMI’s pivotal role in supporting GAMI’s ongoing mission to achieve Vision 2030 objectives, which aim to localize more than 50% of military spending.

During the event, Eng. Thamer Al Muhid, CEO of Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), announced the upcoming launch of SAMI Local Content Program, which will be launched in February 2026 during the World Defense Show, within the Supply Chain Zone. The program is designed to further drive localization ambitions, strengthen the defense supply chain, and advance the Kingdom’s industrial and technological capabilities in line with Vision 2030.

The Annual Military Industries Sector Gathering serves as a key strategic platform that brings together government entities, defense companies, and investors to foster collaboration and alignment across the sector. This year’s event also featured the announcement that defense localization reached 24.89% in 2024, the honoring of excellence award recipients, and the graduation ceremony for participants in GAMI’s Military Industries Scholarship and Fellowship Program. The gathering continues to play an essential role in strengthening partnerships, enabling innovation, and advancing initiatives that contribute to the realization of the Kingdom’s defense localization objectives.