Saudi Arabia’s World Defense Show has started Phase 2 construction of its 800,000 square metre venue near Riyadh featuring the world’s first purpose-built runway, it was announced on Tuesday. 

Founded by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), the four-day event is scheduled to be held from March 6 to 9, 2022.  

World Defense Show said in a statement that more than one million tonnes of earth have been excavated in the first week of works in preparation for the construction of the flagship event’s exhibition halls, access roads and car parking areas.  

The statement said the first of two halls is on track for completion by October 2021. By December 2021, the second hall will be completed along with a new access road, land forces demonstration area and courtyard housing hospitality suites. 

It said all runway clearing and excavation activities were finalised in Phase 1 of construction, with 89 percent of grading works completed. 

Hundreds of construction vehicles have been part of the construction efforts, including 75 bulldozers, 53 tipper trucks, 15 excavators and 12 roller compactors. 

Shaun Ormrod, CEO of the World Defense Show, said the show is the first event dedicated to tech-integration and defense interoperability across the industry’s five domains - land, sea, air, security, and satellite, a growing challenge for defence decision makers around the world. 

“A central part of that is our venue, which is equipped with 800,000 sqm of unrestricted area and purpose-built facilities for equipment demonstrations, conferences and exhibition halls. We are also proud to be the world’s first defence event to host a runway on site for live military aircraft demonstrations.” 

The biennial event is expected to host over 800 exhibitors including 100 local defence companies for its inaugural edition in March 2022. 

Saudi Arabia aims to localise 50 percent of military manufacturing by 2030 as part of Vision 2030. 

(Writing by SA Kader; Editing by Anoop Menon) 

(anoop.menon@refintiv.com) 

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