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  • Dana Stroul: The U.S. Defense Strategy in the Middle East

    What senior leaders articulated in early 2021 and throughout 2022 is that the United States remained invested and committed to this part of the world, but it was going to do it in different ways. So, it was going to focus on diplomacy, not military solutions.

  • Max Verstappen cruises to victory at Saudi Arabian GP to extend dominant start to F1 title defense

    Max Verstappen stayed firmly on course for another season of dominance in Formula 1 on Saturday by winning the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Even after just two races, and despite turmoil at Red Bull, Verstappen seems in near-total control on the track as he aims for a fourth consecutive title this year. Still, he had to share the attention with 18-year-old Oliver Bearman, who was a surprise seventh in his first F1 race as a Ferrari stand-in

  • Past the deadline, Western defense firms still navigating Saudi Arabia’s localization mandates

    "Foreign firms that are direct beneficiaries of lucrative Saudi government contracts will most likely be the first to relocate. [...] Firms who are invested in the Saudi market but do not have direct government dealings will likely try to bide themselves more time," one expert said.

  • Iran Unveils Air Defense Systems as Middle East Tensions Soar

    Iran unveiled two new air defense systems on Saturday, state media reported, with tensions high in the Middle East amid the war in Gaza. "The Arman anti-ballistic missile system and the Azarakhsh low-altitude air defense system, built by the ministry of defense, were unveiled this morning," the official IRNA news agency said. The unveiling of the new weapons comes at a time of heightened regional tensions with the war between Israel and Tehran-backed Hamas raging into a fifth month.

  • Photos: US bolsters regional partnerships at Saudi World Defense Show

    U.S. Air Force personnel assigned to the Air Forces Central Band pose for a photo during the Saudi World Defense Show at an undisclosed location in the Central Command area of responsibility, Feb. 4, 2024. U.S. military participation in the Saudi World Defense Show allows foreign military and civilian decision-makers an opportunity to evaluate and compare U.S. Air Force aircraft in a non-operational and threat-free environment.

  • Pakistani firm shows off new drone during Saudi defense show

    Global Industrial Defence Solutions describes the Ranger as a runway-independent tactical UAV. It was designed for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance missions, as well as for an artillery fire correction role.

  • Saudi companies win air defense subcontracts

    US-based Lockheed Martin has awarded two key subcontracts to industry in Saudi Arabia for a second source of components in the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) weapon system, for which it is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The prime partners receiving subcontracts include Middle East Propulsion Company (MEPC), based in Riyadh, and Arabian International Company (AIC) for Steel, based in Jeddah. Several other Saudi industry partners have also received subcontracts in support of these efforts.

  • Young leaders, country in implementation phase gives Saudi edge in defense: GAMI CEO

    The confidence in a “young” Saudi leadership coupled with a country that is past its planning and into the implementation phase is giving the country an edge in the defense sector, Saudi Arabia’s defense regulatory chief said Tuesday. Speaking to Al Arabiya English, the CEO of the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) Ahmad al-Ohali said: “From a geopolitical and economic perspective, [Saudi Arabia] has a young leadership, very focused leadership with a clear vision,” adding that the country is currently actively seeking to implement the plans that were made in the past few years.

  • Saudi Defense Ministry Signs 19 Deals with Local, Global Companies at World Defense Show 2024

    The Saudi Ministry of Defense announced Tuesday that it had signed 17 contracts and two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with local and international companies. The announcement was made on the sidelines of the World Defense Show 2024 in Riyadh. The contracts the ministry signed aim to raise the Armed Forces’ military readiness, enhance their capabilities, and improve their combat efficiency, in addition to contributing to supporting and localizing local manufacturing in line with the targets of the Saudi Vision 2030 of localizing more than half of spending on military equipment and services.

  • CEO for Saudi defense heavyweight SAMI talks Alsalam purchase, Turkish drones, global ambition

    Both indoors and out, it’s nearly impossible to miss the presence of Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) at this year’s World Defense Show in Riyadh, where the organization is displaying a host of defense platforms, some still under development, that have come under its umbrella over the past years. The displays match the ambition that SAMI CEO Walid Abukhaled says he has for the organization, namely to become one of the top 25 defense contractors in the world — by partnering with international firms, localizing as much production as possible in the Kingdom and snatching up valuable assets, like what Abukhaled said was a virtually finished purchase of the Saudi firm Alsalam Aerospace Industries.