WDS 2026: Saudi Arabia Expands Defense Manufacturing with New SAMI Firms and Riyadh Complex.

Saudi Arabia used World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh to launch two new Saudi Arabian Military Industries entities and open a major land industrial complex under the patronage of King Salman. The move highlights the Kingdom’s push to localize defense production, reduce foreign dependence, and expand its role in the global defense market.

Saudi Arabia formally unveiled a new chapter in its defense industrial strategy on February 9 during World Defense Show 2026, as Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz inaugurated two new Saudi Arabian Military Industries companies and opened a large-scale land systems industrial complex in Riyadh. The announcements, made under the patronage of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, were accompanied by the launch of several national programs aimed at strengthening local manufacturing capability, technology transfer, and long-term industrial self-sufficiency, according to officials present at the event.
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Saudi Arabia launches new SAMI companies and a land systems complex at World Defense Show 2026, boosting defense industrial autonomy (Picture source: SAMI)

In his capacity as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) and Chairman of the Board of SAMI, Prince Khalid bin Salman formally opened the third edition of World Defense Show before inaugurating the SAMI Group pavilion. The occasion marked the launch of SAMI Land Company and SAMI Autonomous Company, two specialized subsidiaries reflecting SAMI’s shift toward a more domain focused organizational structure.

SAMI Autonomous Company has been established to structure and develop national capabilities in autonomous and unmanned systems. Its scope includes unmanned aerial vehicles, autonomous maritime systems, unmanned ground platforms, and autonomous robotics, with the objective of consolidating local expertise across the full value chain, from design to in service support. This focus aligns with the growing role of autonomous technologies in contemporary military concepts and the Kingdom’s objective to retain control over these capabilities.

At the same time, SAMI Land Company consolidates the group’s activities in the land domain, including manufacturing, systems integration, and lifecycle support. The new subsidiary represents a central element of SAMI’s strategy to strengthen national land platform capabilities, supporting armed forces readiness through locally produced and integrated systems.

A key element of the announcement was the inauguration of the SAMI Land Industrial Complex. Presented as the largest fully integrated land industrial facility of its type in the Middle East and North Africa, the complex covers 82,000 square meters within an industrial area of one million square meters. It operates using Industry 4.0 technologies, including artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and robotics, to improve production efficiency, industrial quality, and process control.

Designed as a national hub for production, technology transfer, and training, the facility is expected to generate more than 1,000 skilled jobs for Saudi nationals. It is intended for the manufacture, testing, and sustainment of wheeled and tracked armored vehicles as well as turrets, with an announced annual capacity of up to 1,500 military vehicles. The complex aims to reduce external dependence while providing an industrial base aligned with international standards.

Within this framework, SAMI also presented the HEET program, a new family of wheeled armored vehicles in 4x4, 6x6, and 8x8 configurations designed and produced in Saudi Arabia. These platforms are intended for modern security and defense missions, combining high mobility, ballistic and modular protection, and mission adaptability. The HEET vehicles are designed for rapid deployment in urban, desert, and off road environments, with architectures allowing the integration of command and control systems and manned or optionally unmanned configurations. Their development is intended to meet land forces operational requirements while supporting fully localized production.

Alongside industrial capabilities and platforms, SAMI unveiled its Local Content Program, known as RUKN, aimed at structuring a resilient national supply chain. The program identifies critical dependencies, maps strategic value chains, and accelerates local capability development in coordination with GAMI and national stakeholders. RUKN is built around two main lines of effort, increasing local production and content across procurement and sourcing, and reducing reliance on external suppliers through a coordinated industrial ecosystem. Supported by digital tools, incentive mechanisms, and targeted investments, the program is intended to support long term defense readiness.

SAMI Group Chief Executive Officer Thamer AlMuhid stated that these initiatives form part of an integrated model focused on technology localization, operational readiness, and the development of sustainable sovereign capabilities, while expanding national industrial capacity and workforce skills.

As the National Strategic Partner of World Defense Show for the third consecutive edition, SAMI continues to position itself as a central actor within Saudi Arabia’s defense industrial ecosystem, in line with Vision 2030 objectives and the Kingdom’s ambition to establish a durable defense industrial base with regional and international relevance.