Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Explores Localization Opportunities with Airbus Helicopters

His Excellency Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef, held a bilateral meeting with Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, to discuss joint opportunities for localizing the aerospace industries and its supply chains in the Kingdom. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh.

Discussions focused on strengthening industrial cooperation and expanding strategic partnership opportunities in the localization of aircraft and helicopter manufacturing in Saudi Arabia. The meeting also reviewed ongoing efforts to localize the production of aluminum panels and titanium processing, supporting the requirements of the aerospace sector.

The meeting underscored the importance of developing enabling models to attract Airbus Helicopters’ global suppliers and facilitate the establishment or expansion of their operations in the Kingdom, contributing to the resilience and sustainability of global aviation supply chains.

Separately, Minister Alkhorayef held a meeting with leaders of Technology Equipment Trading Establshment, specialized in military industries, during which they discussed opportunities to localize defense industries in the Kingdom, the enablers supporting local content development, and efforts to enhance national capabilities in military manufacturing.

The meetings were held on the sidelines of the third edition of the World Defense Show 2026, taking place in Riyadh from 8 to 12 February, organized by the General Authority for Military Industries, with active participation from the Kingdom’s industrial and mining ecosystem.