This article is published in Aerospace Daily & Defense Report part of Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN), and is complimentary through Mar 17, 2026. For information on becoming an AWIN Member to access more content like this, click here.
Ahmad Al-Ohali
RIYADH—Saudi Arabia has passed the halfway mark in reaching its target of localizing the procurement of defense equipment, the governor for the General Authority for Military Industries has said.
Speaking Feb. 9 on the second day of the World Defense Show here, Ahmad Al-Ohali said the Kingdom achieved close to 25% localization by the end of 2024 and was on course to achieve a target of 50% localization by 2030 in line with the Vision 2030 effort to diversify the economy.
“In the Kingdom, we are accelerating defense localization,” he said. This would “build industrial depth,” lead to more resilient supply chains and bolster national readiness.
Supporting the effort was also a greater reliance on small- and medium-sized companies that were becoming the “backbone for long-term national readiness.”
He suggested that these investments had taken on a greater priority in a world and region where the defense and security environment was “undergoing a lot of transformation. The challenges we face today are not limited to traditional threats. They are defined by speed, complexity and asymmetry.”
Saudi Arabia is not simply seeking a transactional relationship with foreign defense companies, but “strategic partnerships” that lead to “meaningful capability development and transfer of knowledge. We always look for win-win arrangements where innovation can take place across countries,” he said.
Gen. Fayyadh Al Ruwaili, chief of the General Staff at the Saudi Ministry of Defense, identified several key areas where the country needs to make investments. They include artificial intelligence, control of the electromagnetic spectrum, digital sustainment, human-machine teaming and autonomy. All of these technologies would help improve the military’s interoperability between partners, Al Ruwaili said.
He said Saudi Arabia was focused on regional stability, deescalation and conflict resolution. Strengthening defense readiness was a “key element” in the country’s approach to cooperate with the international community, he said.
Related Content
