Manufacturing and industrial events in Saudi Arabia 2026–27: what to attend

Saudi Arabia's manufacturing and industrial event season runs from November to June, then picks up again in September. Mid-December 2026 is the busiest week: several co-located shows open at Dhahran Expo in Dammam on the same day that CPHI Middle East opens in Riyadh.

As of 13 October 2026, atndr lists more than 60 upcoming events in Saudi Arabia under manufacturing and industrial engineering. The table picks the main ones; confirm dates on the organizer's site before you travel.

July and August are quiet. For the wider calendar in the capital, see the guide to business events in Riyadh.

Pick by production line, not by the size of the event. Most Saudi industrial shows serve one value chain.

Metals, machinery and factory automation

ALUMINIUM Arabia 2026 is RX's show for the aluminium value chain, on 11–12 November 2026 at The Arena Riyadh. Mach & Tools Saudi 2026 covers manufacturing equipment, automation, industrial machinery, and safety and quality. Saudi Industrial Expo 2027 returns on 13–15 September 2027 at RICEC, and Industrial Transformation Saudi Arabia 2027, a Hannover Messe event held under the patronage of the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, covers automation, digitalisation and intralogistics on 29 November–1 December 2027.

Plastics, paper and packaging

Riyadh International Industry Week (26–29 April 2027, RICEC) is the main date. Saudi Plastics & Petrochem 2027 and Saudi Print & Pack 2027 are both in their 22nd edition, and Saudi Smart Logistics & Warehousing 2027 is in its 5th. In the east, Gulf 4P 2026 covers the same industries near the Eastern Province's petrochemical plants. PAPER-ME KSA 2026 runs in Jeddah on 16–18 November 2026, and Saudi Paper & Packaging Expo 2027 follows in Riyadh on 1–3 June 2027.

Process industries

CPHI Middle East 2026 expects 60,000 visitors and 1,000+ exhibiting brands in 2026, according to its organizer. ACHEMA Middle East 2027 brings the ACHEMA process-industry brand to Riyadh Front on 11–13 October 2027.

Oil, gas and plant engineering

iktva Forum 2027 is Aramco's local-content forum and exhibition, held 11–14 January 2027 at Dhahran Expo. RAMCON 2026, the 7th Reliability and Maintainability Conference and Exhibition, runs 24–26 November 2026 in Al Khobar. STATIC ARABIA 2027, the 7th edition of the static equipment expo, runs 7–9 September 2027 at Dhahran Expo. PVPC Global 2027 moves to Dammam for its 5th edition and shares a floor with Refrigeration Expo 2027.

Go to a trade show to buy or sell equipment, a sourcing fair to find factories, and a forum to meet policy makers. The guide to conferences, exhibitions and summits explains the formats in general.

• Trade shows such as Mach & Tools Saudi 2026, bauma SAUDI ARABIA 2027 or Saudi Plastics & Petrochem 2027 are built around stands and live machinery. Most admit industry professionals free after online registration.
• Sourcing fairs bring manufacturers, many of them Chinese, to Saudi importers and distributors. CTW Saudi Arabia 2026 (China Trade Week) covers building materials, electronics, HVAC and hand tools. Global Sources Saudi Arabia Expo 2026, The 2nd China Homelife Saudi Arabia Expo and Sourcing Expo Saudi Arabia 2027 focus on consumer, home and retail goods.
• Government and buyer-led forums such as Future Minerals Forum 2027 and iktva Forum 2027 are built around ministerial sessions, supplier programmes and signed agreements. The 2026 Future Minerals Forum drew 21,500 attendees, according to its organizer. Go there for partnerships and project pipelines, not for a product shortlist.
• Technical conferences such as Lubricants and Additives Conference 2027 and 2nd Annual Cranes & Heavy Lifting Conference 2027 are small, hotel-based and paid, and suit plant engineers.

Comparing Saudi and UAE options? The guide to manufacturing events in the UAE covers Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Most Saudi industrial trade shows are free for trade visitors who register online in advance. A trade visitor is an industry professional who registers to walk the show floor.

Register before you travel with a company email. The guide to a free trade show visitor pass covers the steps.

Riyadh hosts most of the shows, across venues that are far apart, so check yours before you book a hotel.

The working week runs Sunday to Thursday, and several Riyadh shows open in the afternoon and run into the evening.

Decide what you need to learn or sell before you book, and set up meetings before you land.

For buyers:

1. Write the purchase criteria first: throughput, certifications, local service and spare-parts lead times.
2. Shortlist from the exhibitor list that most shows publish before the doors open.
3. Use the bundled weeks: Dammam in December, Riyadh in April, and Riyadh plus Dammam in mid-September 2027.

For suppliers:

1. Pick the value chain, not the biggest show. A valve maker reaches more buyers at PVPC Global 2027 than at a broad construction show.
2. Know the local-content rules. Aramco's supply chain runs through its iktva programme, which is why iktva Forum 2027 matters.
3. Follow up within a week, repeating the specification you discussed.