Industry officials said major South Korean defense companies took part in the 2026 World Defense Show, which opened Saturday (local time) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Hanwha’s three defense affiliates, along with Hyundai Rotem, LIG Nex1 and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), set up near the entrance of the exhibition’s third hall, close to pavilions for host Saudi Arabia as well as China and Russia.
Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Ocean built a combined 677-square-meter booth, their largest ever, highlighting AI-enabled future integrated weapons and network-centric battlefield solutions for the Middle East market.
KAI said it will focus marketing on securing the first overseas export of the KF-21, which is scheduled to be fielded this year. It is also displaying key platforms including the FA-50 and the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH), along with a nano synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite and unmanned aircraft. For the KF-21, companies that participated in development are operating a shared exhibition space under a “Team Korea” concept.
Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, commander of the Saudi air force, visited KAI’s Sacheon headquarters on Jan. 28, watched a KF-21 demonstration flight and toured mass-production facilities, KAI said.
LIG Nex1, which entered the Middle East market with Saudi exports of the Cheongung-II in 2024, is showcasing a layered air-defense package featuring Cheongung, the long-range surface-to-air missile (L-SAM), the long-range artillery intercept system (LAMD) and the Shingung (CHIRON). The company said the integrated solution is designed to respond simultaneously to missile, drone and aircraft threats.
Hyundai Rotem is promoting ground systems and future battlefield technologies, including maneuver weapon systems, manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) and hydrogen mobility, as it seeks to build a foothold in the Middle East.
The South Korean government is also backing the effort. Defense Minister Ahn met in Riyadh with Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, proposed forward-looking cooperation in defense and the defense industry, and invited Khalid to visit South Korea within the year.
Saudi Arabia allocated $78 billion for defense spending last year and is pursuing measures to promote its defense industry, including attracting domestic and foreign investment, according to the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI).
* This article has been translated by AI.
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