Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Ambassador to the United States Princess Reema bint Bandar highlighted the effective role of women in the defense industry. Chairing the “Women in Defense” program on the fourth day of the World Defense Show 2024 (WDS) in Riyadh on Wednesday, the princess stressed that the program is a distinctive step towards engaging women and developing their awareness and development in the defense and security industry sector, in line with the Vision 2030.

“This is through introducing their important roles, enhancing their contribution, and achieving a positive impact in light of their presence in this industry at the global level,” she said.

The Women in Defense program was addressed by Chairman of the Armed Forces Education and Training Authority Maj. Gen. Adel Al-Balawi, Vice President for Defense Development and Partnerships at Boeing Heidi Grant, Amanda Stainer, chief commercial officer of WDS, and a group of distinguished speakers.

They discussed the most important challenges and reviewed the most prominent successful models of women’s work in this field and discussed the importance of her participation in this sector.

For her part, Amanda Stainer said that the program aims to shape a more comprehensive future in the defense sector, as it is a practical step towards integrating diverse viewpoints and skills, which are necessary for the development of this sector. “Supporting women’s participation works to create a stronger and more resilient defense community,” she added.

In a related context, the Future Talents Program was launched on the fourth day of WDS, which aims to inspire emerging cadres and introduce them on how to advance their careers in the fields of the defense and security industry, as well as informing innovators in the technical sciences, engineering and mathematics disciplines about the outstanding opportunities available in this area.

The program works in accordance with the objectives of Vision 2030 to empower human capital in the field of the defense and security industry, as it hosts more than 8,000 students, in line with the Military Industries Human Capital (MIHC) strategy to ensure the availability and sustainability of the required human resources in the military industries sector.