In this narrow stretch of water, a quiet but structuring competition is now taking place: the race for defense industry showcases.
Madrid is preparing FEINDEF 27, its largest show to date. Rabat, for its part, is building dedicated industrial zones and considering extending its Marrakech Airshow to the naval domain. What is at stake is not just displaying equipment. Major trade shows are where contracts, industrial footprints and technology transfers get negotiated. In an expanding global defense market, capturing a share of these flows has become a strategic objective.
Madrid is preparing a record show but remains landlocked
The fifth edition of FEINDEF will take place from 18 to 20 May 2027 at IFEMA Madrid. According to figures released in late October 2026 by the Fundación FEINDEF and relayed by Defensa.com, El Español and Business Wire, the show will cover 89,100 m², an increase of about 46% compared with 2025. More than 746 companies have already confirmed their participation (up 19%), including more than 250 international ones, representing 33% of the total. Fourteen international pavilions are planned. Seven months before the opening, 94% of the sellable floor space is already booked.
The Spanish Ministry of Defense has offered steady institutional backing since the first edition in 2019. FEINDEF has established itself as the leading Iberian platform, positioned as a bridge to Latin America and to NATO’s southern flank. Yet its location in Madrid rules out dynamic demonstrations at sea: no warships, no amphibious operations, no takeoffs from vessels.
Some Spanish manufacturers are therefore considering a complementary event in the Bay of Cádiz, close to the Navantia shipyards (San Fernando and Puerto Real), the Airbus plants (composite materials) and the Rota base, which hosts US units and the NATO missile shield. According to Escudo Digital, citing industry sources, several names have been floated (Rota Naval & Air Show, ANSUR, Strait Defence Horizons). The idea would be to alternate years: FEINDEF in odd years, a naval and air showcase in even years. The project, however, is struggling to take shape and has yet to receive clear backing from the authorities.
Across the strait, Rabat is structuring its offer
Morocco already has a showcase that works. The eighth edition of the Marrakech Airshow, held from 7 to 10 October 2026 at the Royal Air Force base, brought together nearly 200 exhibitors from 27 countries and more than 60 official delegations. Those present included Lockheed Martin, Airbus, Boeing, Safran, Thales, Tata Advanced Systems, as well as Israel Aerospace Industries, Elbit Systems and Rafael. For the first time, Israel took part officially through a national pavilion.
According to Escudo Digital, industry sources indicate that Rabat is studying an extension of this show to the naval domain, with two possible sites: Ksar Sghir (Alcazarseguir), Morocco’s main naval base on the strait, or Casablanca. The aim would be to include demonstrations of vessels and naval systems, potentially featuring American or Israeli technologies. No official confirmation has been given so far; the timeline and scope remain open.
At the same time, the Société de gestion des zones industrielles de défense (SGZID) is developing two platforms totaling 675 hectares: 75 ha at Nouaceur (near Mohammed V airport) and 600 ha at Sidi Yahya (near Kenitra). These zones, created under Law 10-20 on defense industries, are intended to host manufacturers with secure infrastructure and simplified administrative services. India’s MKU group has announced its intention to set up a unit at Nouaceur producing optronic systems (Netro) and ballistic protection (Kavro), also intended for export to Africa and Europe. Other projects (armored vehicles with Tata, components with Israeli or Turkish partners) follow the same logic of localization and transfer.
The figures shaping the competition
- FEINDEF 2027: 89,100 m², more than 746 exhibitors, 33% international, 94% of floor space already booked.
- Marrakech Airshow 2026: nearly 200 exhibitors, 27 countries, first official Israeli participation.
- Moroccan zones: 675 ha split between Nouaceur and Sidi Yahya, managed by the SGZID.
- Spain-Morocco bilateral trade in 2025: about €22.8 billion (customs data relayed by recent analyses).
- Defense spending in 2025 (SIPRI): about €34.3 billion for Spain, €5.6 billion for Morocco.
These orders of magnitude reveal an asymmetry in resources, but also a convergence of industrial ambitions.
Why this rivalry matters beyond the booths
Defense shows are not mere trade fairs. They bring together public buyers, manufacturers and defense attachés. A country with a credible showcase more easily attracts industrial investments, maintenance contracts and co-development deals. For Morocco, the goal is to move from customer to partial producer, relying on partners (United States, Israel, India, Turkey, France). For Spain, FEINDEF is a tool of industrial projection within NATO and the European Union, against a backdrop of rising European defense budgets.
Geopolitically, the strait remains a latent friction point: sovereignty issues around Ceuta and Melilla, control of migration flows, naval positioning. A strengthened Moroccan base at Ksar Sghir and a possible naval showcase there alter perceptions of the balance, even though overall capabilities remain in Spain’s favor (fleet, air force, allied integration). On the industrial side, competition for investment can coexist with interdependence: trade and supply chains (automotive, energy, logistics) make decoupling costly for both shores.
Spanish industry voices warn of the risk that Madrid stays focused on land systems while other players offer specialized formats. On the Moroccan side, the strategy is presented as a necessity of industrial sovereignty in the face of a historical dependence on imports. The two readings coexist without immediate contradiction: one stresses the risk of losing regional leadership, the other the gradual building of an ecosystem.
The coming months will show whether the Cádiz project moves forward or whether the Moroccan initiatives materialize. Neither camp has yet turned its intentions into an official calendar for a naval event. What is already visible is the acceleration of industrial localization in Morocco and the continued growth of FEINDEF. In the western Mediterranean basin, the competition for defense investment is played out as much in industrial zones as on the show floors.
FAQ
Will FEINDEF 2027 include naval demonstrations?
No. Its location at IFEMA Madrid does not allow operations at sea. A complementary project in the Bay of Cádiz is being discussed by manufacturers, but it has not been launched yet.
Has Morocco confirmed a naval show?
No. Escudo Digital cites industry sources mentioning an extension of the Marrakech Airshow to Ksar Sghir or Casablanca, but no official announcement has been made.
What is the SGZID?
The Société de gestion des zones industrielles de défense, in charge of developing and managing the two platforms at Nouaceur and Sidi Yahya (675 ha in total) intended for arms manufacturers.
Will MKU already be manufacturing in Morocco?
The Indian group has announced its intention to set up an optronics and ballistic protection plant at Nouaceur. Details on timing and investment have yet to be clarified.
