JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s military equipment manufacturing sector is undergoing a significant expansion, emerging as a pivotal element of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy to boost domestic industrial capacity.

Supported by robust government backing, strategic global partnerships, and growing local innovation, the defense industry is becoming a critical contributor to national security and a promising source of non-oil revenue.

Under Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia aims to localize 50 percent of its military spending by the end of the decade. The sector’s regulator, the General Authority for Military Industries, reported notable progress, with localization rising from 4 percent in 2018 to 19.35 percent in 2024 — reflecting steady advances toward self-sufficiency in defense manufacturing.

The Kingdom’s military expenditure reached $75.8 billion in 2024, according to official estimates, representing 3.1 percent of global defense spending. Using its own methodology, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates the figure slightly higher at $80.3 billion.

The country has allocated about $78 billion for the military sector in its 2025 budget — 21 percent of government spending and 7.2 percent of gross domestic product — supporting its goals to diversify the economy and reduce oil dependence.

GAMI is driving efforts to attract investment, support small and medium-sized enterprises, and develop a strong defense industry spanning aerospace, armored vehicles, and missile systems, as well as electronic warfare, and UAVs — boosting both national security and long-term industrial growth.

Global defense spending hits $2.7tn

According to its April 2024 report Trends in World Military Expenditure, SIPRI said global military spending exceeded $2.7 trillion in 2024, marking a decade of continuous annual growth and a 37 percent increase between 2015 and 2024.

“The 9.4 percent increase in 2024 was the steepest year-on-year rise since at least 1988. The global military burden — the share of the world’s GDP devoted to military expenditure — increased to 2.5 percent in 2024. Average military expenditure as a share of government expenditure rose to 7.1 percent in 2024, and world military spending per person was the highest since 1990, at $334,” the report added.

The US, China, Russia, Germany, and India are the top five military spenders, making up 60 percent of global defense expenditure. The US leads with $997 billion — more than three times China’s $314 billion, while Russia’s spending rose 38 percent to $149 billion. Germany and India spent $88.5 billion and $86.1 billion, respectively.

SIPRI estimated Middle East military spending at $243 billion in 2024, up 15 percent from 2023. 

Saudi Arabia led the region with $80.3 billion, ranking seventh globally, just $1.5 billion behind the UK.

“Its spending was 1.5 percent higher than in 2023 but 20 percent lower than in 2015 when its oil revenues peaked,” the independent institute said.

Sector key to economic diversification

Khaled Ramadan, chairman of the International Center for Strategic Studies in Cairo and an economic expert, described the Saudi military industries sector as a cornerstone of the country’s economic diversification efforts and a vital pillar of Vision 2030.

“Localizing military industries reduces reliance on imported weapons,” Ramadan said, emphasizing the sector’s role beyond defense. “It also supports advanced industries such as electronics, telecommunications, aviation technology, and advanced manufacturing, contributing broadly to non-oil economic growth.”

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