World Defense Show, Saudi Arabia’s flagship international defense event, has unveiled the designs for a new, custom-built exhibition venue on the outskirts of capital city Riyadh.
With an unrestricted area of approximately 800,000 sq m, the new venue will be primed to accommodate the inaugural event as well as planned expansions for future editions of the Show, which takes place biennially within the global event calendar.
Visitors will experience the event’s core concept of defence interoperability and extensive programming in a custom-built venue which houses a range of world-class capabilities and facilities. Facilities will include a 3km-long and 50m-wide runway for live air power demonstrations to an interactive on-site command centre to hospitality suites and meeting rooms with panoramic views.
Venue plans to be formalised for inaugural event in March 2022
The World Defense Show (WDS) venue will be finalised in phases throughout 2021, in preparation for the inaugural event in March 2022.
The design elements have been inspired by traditional Saudi architectural styles and the venue floorplan is segmented by geography across two 56,000 sqm exhibition halls, positioned to border the outdoor product display areas. Within these zones, attendees will experience knowledge-sharing and networking sessions, engaging programmes and tech-powered, immersive experiences offering a window into the future of defence.
Shaun Ormrod, Chief Executive Officer of World Defense Show, said: “World Defense Show has found its home with a fully-equipped venue capable of bringing to life our global platform for defence interoperability on an unprecedented scale. We structured the venue around the show’s objective to facilitate valuable contacts and exchanges across local and international defence industry stakeholders. Attendees can also expect their well-being to be a top priority as we continuously monitor developments and implement precautions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The WDS Operations team is working diligently to ensure the event upholds the highest public health standards.”
“At World Defense Show, visitors will experience Saudi Arabia’s culture of hospitality and bolstering business landscape through a design concept that centers around accessibility, entertainment, and community in order for every participant to benefit from everything the event has to offer.”
