Saudi firm Sondos could outline plans to produce ballistic armor domestically at WDS 2026.

Sondos Advanced Industries plans to participate in World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh, presenting its Saudi-based protective equipment manufacturing activities within the Saudi Supply Chain Zone, and where it could plan to outline its approach to domestic ballistic armor production.

The Saudi company Sondos Advanced Industries is preparing to take part in World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh with an approach centered on industrial capacity, localized manufacturing, and the expansion of Saudi-produced protective equipment across military and civil sectors. The company, which exhibits within the Saudi Supply Chain Zone, might also speak at the event about its plans for the establishment of a ballistic armor facility intended to localize the production of helmets and body armor plates within Saudi Arabia, as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 defense manufacturing objectives.
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Beyond textile-based protection, Sondos recently outlined plans to expand into ballistic protection through the establishment of a ballistic armor facility intended to localize the production of helmets and body armor plates within Saudi Arabia. (Picture source: Sondos)

Sondos Advanced Industries is preparing to take part in World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh with an approach centered on industrial capacity, localized manufacturing, and the expansion of Saudi-produced protective equipment across military and civil sectors. The company is expected to position itself within the Saudi Supply Chain Zone, an area intended to highlight domestic manufacturers able to integrate into national and international defense supply chains. Rather than focusing on a single product announcement, Sondos is framing its WDS 2026 participation around the idea of an end-to-end Saudi production model, linking facilities, workforce, and partnerships to the broader objective of strengthening local defense manufacturing in line with Vision 2030. The show is used as a platform to explain how its activities fit into national industrial development rather than as a standalone commercial exhibition.

The Saudi company traces its origins to 2013, with formal establishment in 2016, and operates from Riyadh’s Second Industrial City, where it is associated with a production complex covering approximately 9,400 square meters. This site is described as hosting the full cycle of work for protective equipment, including fabric handling, cutting, stitching, assembly, and testing, allowing Sondos to retain control over manufacturing steps rather than relying on distributed subcontracting. Inside the facility, fire-resistant textiles are processed, ballistic components are handled and evaluated, and prototypes are developed under the supervision of Saudi engineers. For WDS 2026, Sondos is expected to emphasize this physical manufacturing footprint as evidence of domestic industrial substance, highlighting that design, production, and quality control activities are all conducted within the Kingdom.

Sondos identifies itself as a licensed Saudi military manufacturer and links this status to a product range that covers several categories of protective equipment. These include military protective gear and armor, CBRN suits intended for environments involving chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear risks, and firefighter uniforms designed for high-temperature and hazardous-response conditions. In addition to these items, the company also associates its activity with the manufacture of military uniforms, aircraft covers, and other protective covers used by defense and security organizations. At WDS 2026, this breadth is expected to be highlighted to show that the company operates across multiple segments of protective textiles and equipment, rather than being confined to a single niche or contract type.

A central reference point in Sondos’s portfolio is the Remal firefighting suit, described as the first Saudi-made firefighting uniform certified to international NFPA standards and designed and manufactured entirely within Saudi Arabia. The Remal suit is used as a concrete example of how local production can meet externally recognized safety and performance requirements, particularly in a field where material properties, heat resistance, and durability are critical. During WDS 2026, this product is likely to be exhibited alongside other protective garments to underline consistency in production quality and compliance. Its inclusion also supports the company’s broader message that civil protection and defense manufacturing share common industrial foundations in textiles, testing, and controlled assembly processes.

Beyond textile-based protection, Sondos has recently outlined plans to expand into ballistic protection through the establishment of a ballistic armor facility intended to localize the production of helmets and body armor plates within Saudi Arabia. This initiative is linked to the national objective of localizing 50 percent of defense spending by 2030 and is framed as a move toward retaining sensitive manufacturing knowledge and capacity domestically. The ballistic facility is described as an addition to existing capabilities rather than a replacement, allowing the company to cover both soft and hard protection elements. At WDS 2026, this expansion is expected to be discussed as part of a forward-looking industrial roadmap, showing how Sondos intends to broaden its role within the Saudi defense manufacturing ecosystem.

Partnerships with international firms form another element of Sondos’s industrial development narrative. The company is associated with cooperation involving MKU Global, L3Harris Technologies, FECSA, and Survitec, relationships that are described as supporting modernization of production processes and access to specialized expertise. These partnerships are framed in terms of technology transfer and supply-chain integration rather than marketing alliances, with an emphasis on how collaboration contributes to domestic capability building. At the same time, Sondos highlights workforce development as a parallel priority, describing the recruitment and training of young Saudi men and women for industrial roles, including engineers, as part of sustaining local manufacturing capacity over time.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.