Defense procurement, Made in Saudi
Local content went from under 2% to ~20% in a decade
Thriving Economy pillar2 sourcesLast verified 2026-05-18
Hero metric
Defense localization
~20%
LatestLocal content went from under 2% to ~20% in a decade
Publishers include: Aramco · Arab News
The Story
Before
Saudi defense procurement was almost entirely imported — local content below 2% in 2017.
Initiative
GAMI was established to localize the defense supply chain. Major contracts now require local manufacturing partnerships, knowledge transfer, and Saudi workforce development.
Outcome
Defense local content has risen roughly 10× — to nearly 20% — making it one of the fastest localization shifts in any sector.
For citizens
High-skill engineering, manufacturing, and R&D jobs that used to leave Saudi now stay. A strategic industry now employs and develops Saudis directly.
Timeline of Milestones
2017
Defense local content: <2%
2017
GAMI established to localize defense industry
2025
Defense local content reaches ~20%
Evidence library · 2 primary sources
Sorted by tier, newest first
Saudi unemployment rate
Halved since Vision 2030 began — from 12.3% to 7.2%
7.2%
Saudi careers in 269 professions
Next phase: 340,000 more jobs localized by 2028
340,000
Direct cash support to 10 million Saudis
SAR 229 billion delivered to families since 2017
10M+
70% of Aramco's supply chain — Made in Saudi
$280 billion to the economy, 200,000 jobs, 47 strategic products manufactured locally for the first time
70%
Initiative attribution: GAMI (General Authority for Military Industries); Vision 2030 defense localization target. Citizen benefit category: Jobs & livelihoods.