Updated 21 June 2026

World Defense Show 2026

The World Defense Show 2026, held in a purpose-built venue in the desert way outside the kingdom’s dusty capital Riyadh, occurred from 8-12 February. This is a relatively new event on the global defence exhibition circuit, but it is certainly a large one. Despite a late pull-out by companies from the UAE because of a political dispute between the two countries, WDS 2026 attracted a wide range of exhibitors from the likes of Asia, Europe, Russia, the Middle East and USA.

This was the first time that King Arthur’s Writes had attended this Saudi event. As well as the usual collection of pavilions and exhibition halls, it was livened up by an off-road demonstration area for vehicles, a static drone zone, as well as a tarmac for static aircraft displays, and an associated runway that permitted a limited range of aircraft to perform aerobatic flights. The bulk of these flight displays were from the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF), including an F-15SR, Eurofighter and Hawk trainers. The RSAF had a wide range of aircraft and helicopters on display, each one emblazoned with the reassuring phrase “God bless you”!

The exhibition site itself was protected by a battery of Patriot air defence missile systems, an indication that the Middle East was on tenterhooks even at that time. Indeed, just 2.5 weeks after WDS 2026 closed its doors, the USA and Israel commenced a surprise attack on Iran, a war that has caused reverberations around the globe ever since. The Saudis buy military equipment from a wide range of sources – such as China, France, Italy, Pakistan, Russia, Spain, the UK and USA – so there is ample competition between both the East and West for business in the kingdom. This was obviously reflected in the exhibition halls. However, one thing that was evident at WDS 2026 was the development of Saudi Arabia’s own defence industry, often through tie-ups with overseas entities.