What happened: The 2026 European Outdoor Activities Exhibition in Parma gathered 300+ exhibitors and 700 brands, attracting around 40,000 visitors from over 40 countries.
- Beyond showcasing outdoor and defense products, the event functioned as a platform for strategic dialogue, particularly with Arab partners interested in Italian military technology and logistics corridors.
Zoom in: The exhibition featured weapons systems, ammunition and defense equipment, with participation from companies such as Benelli, Beretta, Blaser, Browning, Mauser, Sauer and Sako.
- Several of these firms have already secured defense contracts in the Gulf, signaling continuity between industrial presence and export strategy.
- Past deals include sniper rifle supplies to Bahrain and renewed Italian exports of bombs and missiles to Saudi Arabia after restrictions were lifted.
The bigger picture: Italy is aligning industrial outreach with geopolitical strategy.
- Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has stressed the need to strengthen economic and political ties with Saudi Arabia, linking this effort to the revival of the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
- The corridor is seen as a critical infrastructure backbone connecting Asia to Europe via the Gulf, with implications for trade, energy and digital flows.
By the numbers: According to Kamel Al-Manajed, head of the Italian-Saudi Business Council:
- €10B+ in expected investments over the next five years
- Potential expansion of digital trade to €50B annually by 2030
Regional context: The push comes amid efforts by Arab states to coordinate responses to regional crises, including a joint declaration involving 55 countries led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aimed at containing escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Between the lines: The Parma expo highlights how defense industry, logistics corridors and diplomacy are increasingly intertwined.
- Italy is using its industrial base not just for exports, but as a tool of strategic positioning across the Indo-Mediterranean space.
What’s next: Platforms like the Italian-Saudi Business Forum and IMEC-related initiatives could translate exhibition-level engagement into joint production, infrastructure projects and long-term partnerships.
- The real test will be whether these contacts evolve into scalable industrial cooperation and integrated supply chains.
The bottom line: The Parma exhibition is more than a trade fair — it reflects Italy’s attempt to turn industrial diplomacy into a lever for deeper ties with the Gulf and a more central role in emerging Eurasian connectivity.
