By Sarah Saad
Egyptian Minister of State for Military Production Mohamed Salah Eldin Mustafa affirmed Monday that the ongoing World Defence Show reflected Saudi Arabia’s position as one of the world’s most influential countries in the defense industry, commending the modern Saudi military products produced according to the latest global manufacturing technologies.
He was speaking during his inspection of several pavilions of countries and companies participating in the second edition of the World Defense Show 2024, held from February 4 to 8 in Saudi Arabia under the patronage of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The minister visited the Saudi pavilion and met with representatives of the “Al Nafie” group.
He praised the organizers for the exhibition’s presentation, befitting the Kingdom, emphasising the strong bonds between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The meeting discussed the possibility of collaboration in the field of armored steel as Al Nafie Group representatives expressed interest in importing it from the military production ministry.
Al Nafie representatives also highlighted the possibility of supplying stainless steel to Egypt and importing copper ore and processed copper. They emphasized that the World Defense Show 2024 aimed to enhance the Kingdom’s position as a global leader in defense, security, and military industries with a focus on promoting localization and local defense manufacturing, exchanging manufacturing expertise, leveraging the latest technologies, and showcasing the latest military technologies.
The minister also inspected the Indian pavilion, meeting representatives of MUNITIONS INDIA LIMITED (MIL) and its Saudi agent. He praised the pavilion’s exhibits, reflecting the advancement of the Indian defense industries and their alignment with rapid developments in the defense and security sector. The minister emphasized the ministry’s main mission of meeting the demands of the armed forces and the Ministry of Interior for various products, including ammunition, weapons, equipment, and advanced electronic systems.
The minister viewed the presentation in which Indian company representatives showcased their areas of work, goals, and the production of advanced defense products. The Indian company specializes in producing various types of small, medium, and heavy ammunition.
Representatives of MUNITIONS INDIA LIMITED expressed their anticipation that this meeting would open new avenues for co-operation with Egyptian military production companies, given their outstanding capabilities.
In a related context, the minister visited the booth of the Egyptian company “Ultimate Solutions,” specializing in engineering services. During the meeting, the fruitful previous collaboration with the Ministry of Military Production in the field of the fourth industrial revolution was highlighted. The minister emphasized the readiness of military production companies to cooperate with Ultimate Solutions.
Representatives of the Egyptian company expressed their eagerness to strengthen cooperation with the Ministry of Military Production and its affiliated entities for mutual benefit.
Furthermore, the minister visited the Turkish pavilion, holding a meeting with the Turkish Minister of Defense Industries. A team from military production had visited three Turkish companies in December, expressing readiness for collaboration in joint production of ammunition components. The minister expressed interest in localizing some of the advanced Turkish manufacturing technologies within the production lines of affiliated companies.
Mohamed Eid Bakr, media advisor to the ministry of military production, clarified that during the minister’s visits to these countries’ booths as he extended invitations for reciprocal visits and technical delegations’ exchanges with military production companies. This is aimed at gaining a firsthand understanding of each side’s manufacturing capabilities and technologies, defining areas of mutual interest with greater precision.
The World Defense Show focuses on the five defense industry sectors (land, air, sea, space, and security). The second edition of the exhibition hosts over 750 exhibitors from more than 75 countries, with the participation of over 500 official delegations, in addition to an expected 100,000 visitors.
