Earlier this year, the Kuwait parliament unanimously approved a government request for an additional US$10 billion to fund weapons purchases for the military over the next 10 years.

Defense Minister Sheikh Khaled Jarrah Al-Sabah said the money, which is to be placed in a special fund outside the budget, would be used to fund new defense materiel acquisitions.

The Gulf Defense & Aerospace (GDA) exhibition to be held in Kuwait on 12-14 December 2017 will address the growing needs and challenges of this and other Gulf countries.

The fourth edition of the International tri-service defense Exhibition and Conference dedicated to Defense, Aerospace, Homeland Security and Safety & Security, is being held under the official patronage of the Kuwait Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Sheikh Khalid Al- Jarrah Al-Sabah.

The third edition of this exhibition was held from December 8-10, 2015 and was officially opened by Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nawaf Al-Sabah, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Kuwait Armed Forces, together with Major General Lafi Al Aazmi who is the chief of KMOD materiel acquisitions.  The exhibition was visited by more than 2,000 uniformed members of the active Kuwait Ministry of Defense, together with high level delegations of the Kuwait National Guard and the Kuwait Ministry of Interior.

Participating in the exhibition as exhibitors were worldwide industry leaders including, Lockheed Martin, The Boeing Company, General Dynamics Land Systems, Raytheon Company, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, CAE, Textron Systems Corporation, Renault Defense Trucks, BAE Systems, Eurofighter GmbH, Kongsberg Defense, Thales, MBDA, Fr. Lürssen Werft GmbH & Co. KG., Damen Shipyards, DCNS, Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding, Atlas Elektronic GmbH, United States Marine, Inc. and many others.