The first World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia opened to the public on Sunday morning, as part of a push to localize the Kingdom’s military spending.

Nearly 600 exhibitors from more than 40 nations are expected to participate, with organizers anticipating a crowd of 30,000 people.

It takes place at a purpose-built 800,000 square meter facility north of Riyadh from Sunday through Wednesday.

The Kingdom’s General Authority for Military Industries arranged the show, which will take place every two years (GAMI).

Hundreds of local and international exhibitors will have products and demonstrations on display in pavilions visited by delegations from dozens of nations.

Air, land, sea, and space military technology will be on display by exhibitors.

In a statement, GAMI Governor Ahmad al-Ohali remarked, “The 6th of March will mark a significant milestone in the Kingdom’s road toward localizing 50 percent of its military expenditure by 2030.”

“We have received enormous global interest in participation in the first edition of the World Defense Show, and we look forward to providing a suitable atmosphere for networking and cross-border partnerships to foster industry innovation,” he added.

Daily thematic panel discussions will go into the specifics of the technologies on display.

At the Command and Control Center, a 20-minute cyber-defense show will be held six times a day.

A Start-Up Zone will display some of the newest technologies offered by small and medium companies from around the world.

The final day of the show will open its doors to 5,000 talented Saudi students from the Kingdom’s STEM institutions for the Future Talent Program.