Saha Expo 2024 showcases Türkiye’s defense industry strength

The countdown has begun for the Soho Expo, which will showcase the strength of Türkiye’s defense industry and host technologies and visitors from around the world.

Organized by Saha Istanbul, Türkiye’s and Europe’s largest industrial cluster, and supported by the Turkish Presidency, six ministries, and the Presidency of Defense Industries, the Saha Expo International Defense, Aerospace and Space Industry Fair will take place at the Istanbul Fair Center (IFM) from Oct. 22-26 this year.

Having established itself as one of the world’s most important defense industry fairs, Saha Expo will open its doors this year with increased strength and capacity. The expo will feature over 1,200 companies.

The Saha Expo will attract significant international interest and facilitate crucial global agreements, bringing local producers and technologies together with the world’s buyers. The fair aims to exceed $1 billion in export-focused business volume.

Visitor numbers to double

Saha Expo, organized to maximize the promotion and export potential of the Turkish defense, aerospace and space industries, will be the region’s largest sector gathering and again provide an effective platform for significant collaborations.

The fair will feature cutting-edge technologies, with numerous domestic and international companies, institutions and organizations showcasing their latest products.

The previous expo, Saha Expo, welcomed over 78,000 professional visitors. This year, the event will be held in 90,000 square meters, including eight exhibition halls, foyers and outdoor spaces at the Istanbul Fair Center.

The goal is to host over 150,000 professional visitors.

‘Growing by adding new fair each year’

Levent Kerim Uca, Secretary General of Saha Istanbul, spoke to AA about the fair. Emphasizing the unprecedented success of the Saha Expo in a very short time, Uca said: “Our fair, which started in a small area in 2018, expanded to 40,000 square meters in 2021. In 2022, it grew to 60,000 square meters; this year, it will cover 90,000 square meters. There is no other example of a sector-specific fair growing by 50% each year, almost adding a new fair on top of itself each time.”

Highlighting that the Saha Expo 2022 Fair hosted 957 companies, including 390 foreign and 567 domestic firms from 109 countries, 289 official delegations, 103 trade delegations and over 40,000 sector professionals, Uca noted these numbers will be even higher this year.

“We foresee over 1,200 participating companies, over 500 official and trade delegations, 150,000 visitors, 25,000 B2B meetings, and signing ceremonies generating over $1 billion in export-focused economic value.”

“In other words, while our defense and aerospace industry is breaking records in every aspect, we aim to set new records with Saha Expo,” he said.

Participation from 40 countries, 150 trade delegations

Drawing attention to the international involvement in the fair, Uca said: “This year, we expect approximately 200 foreign exhibitors from 40 countries across five continents to participate in the Saha Expo.

“Firms from diverse regions, including leading companies from the U.S., Australia, the South Pacific, Europe and Africa, will meet with our domestic companies and visitors, fostering collaborations.”

Uca emphasized participants would meet official and international trade delegations.

“For the first time in Türkiye, a sector-specific fair for the defense industry will host a wide range of trade delegations. We identify firms that can purchase from our SMEs or collaborate with them and bring these delegations to our fair. We plan to host around 150 trade delegations this year,” he added.

High-level guests, official delegations

Uca mentioned that numerous international panels will bring together professionals from home and abroad to discuss topics relevant to the sector. He expects around 400 official delegates from various countries and significant international organizations like NATO to attend the fair.

“We will bring sector professionals from prime ministers and ministers to chiefs of staff and lower-level officials with our participating firms.

In 2022, the U.K. Defense Minister visited the Saha EXPO. This year, we anticipate similar high-level foreign visitors. We aim to match official delegations with local SMEs in their areas of interest,” he said.

Extra day added, 2 days for public visiting

While the Saha Expo was previously held over four days, an additional day has been added this year.

This year, the fair will have two public days, opening the door to a new world shaped by technology to those interested in experiencing the latest technological advancements in the defense, aerospace, and space industries.

The public days are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 25, and Saturday, October 26; the age limit is 18.