▲ Saudi Arabian Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud visits a South Korean booth at the World Defense Show in Riyadh on Feb. 8, 2026, in this photo provided by LIG Nex 1 Co. the following day. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

defense firms-Saudi Arabia

S. Korean defense firms eye Middle East market with arms fair showcase

RIYADH/SEOUL, Feb. 9 (Joint Press Corps-Yonhap) -- South Korean defense firms showcased an array of their arms products at the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia as they seek to make inroads into the Middle East market, officials said Monday.

Nearly 40 defense companies from South Korea are taking part in this year's biennial exhibition, one of the biggest arms trade fairs in the region, that runs through Thursday.

Among participants are major firms, such as Hanwha Aerospace Co., LIG Nex 1 Co. and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) Ltd., as well as smaller firms that have installed booths at a joint national section organized by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

The companies promoted their key weapons systems, such as Hanwha's K9A1 self-propelled howitzer, LIG Nex 1's multi-layered air defense missile system and KAI's KF-21 homegrown fighter jets under development.

A KAI official told South Korean reporters that the KF-21 is easily adaptable and can advance into a fifth-generation model.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, who visited the trade fair, underscored the importance of the KF-21 project and urged efforts to successfully manufacture, operationalize and export the fighter jet.

During his visit to the LIG Nex 1 booth, Ahn called for efforts so that South Korean-made missile defense systems can contribute to the Saudi Arabian air defense network.

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