General Authority for Defense Development

The General Authority for Defense Development is a government entity responsible for defining the objectives of research, development, and innovation activities in the fields of defense technology and systems in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It sets its policies, strategies, and implementation plans, and manages the operations of these activities, directing and monitoring them according to the applicable laws and regulations in the Kingdom.

The General Authority for Defense Development was established by a resolution of the Council of Ministers issued on September 14, 2021. It has legal personality, financial and administrative independence, and is affiliated with the Prime Minister. The authority is headed by a governor with the rank of (minister), appointed based on the nomination of the chairman of the authority's board of directors.

The General Authority for Defense Development operates according to several pillars, within an integrated work with relevant governmental entities, such as the General Authority for Military Industries, which works to provide the Kingdom's essential needs in the military sector in several areas, including: the field of air systems; including manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance of fixed-wing aircraft, fighter aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft, and refueling aircraft, in addition to armed drones, and the field of ground systems; including the manufacturing and maintenance of military vehicles, and the field of weapons, ammunition, and missiles, and the field of defense electronics, including sensors, radars, communication systems, electronic warfare, and modern technologies.

The General Authority for Military Industries, in partnership with the General Authority for Defense Development, announced, on the sidelines of the World Defense Show, on March 9, 2022, the launch of the Innovation Award in the field of military and defense industries in the Kingdom, in collaboration with King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST),and the Saudi Arabian Military Industries Company (SAMI).

The award aims to incentivize innovators to provide solutions and innovations that impact the sector, leveraging talent to localize domestic military industries, and promoting a culture of research and innovation in the Kingdom, supporting, empowering, and facilitating its access to partners in the defense and security ecosystem.