Defense market leaders from Saudi Arabia and Türkiye collected in Istanbul for the Defense Industry Days occasion, checking out chances for regional production and innovation transfer.
Structure on their robust bilateral ties and the freshly validated Makkah Defense Alliance, Riyadh and Ankara are raising their collaboration from a conventional buyer-seller relationship towards joint commercial localization, co-production, and research study and advancement, advancing the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
The Istanbul Momentum
Driving the News: More than 70 Turkish business and 30 Saudi companies held over 600 service conferences throughout the Saudi-Türkiye Defense Industry Days occasion in Istanbul, hung on November 11-12, 2026. The occasion was arranged by the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), the defense market cluster SAHA Istanbul, and Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI).
The Big Picture: Over 2 days, Saudi and Turkish defense authorities and market leaders analyzed appealing chances in the sector, leveraging Türkiye’s experience in the defense market and Saudi Arabia’s appeal for financiers.
The Defense Localization Momentum
In between the Lines: Saudi and Turkish authorities highlighted their interest in deepening the defense collaboration using Turkish robust engineering base and Saudi capital and commercial capacity.
For Saudi Arabia: Saudi Minister of State, Cabinet Member, and Acting Governor of the General Authority for Military Industries(GAMI )Bandar Al-Khorayef explained Türkiye’s defense community as “pioneering and worth gaining from.” Speaking at the online forum and in an interview with Anadolu Agency, he stressed that Riyadh is moving beyond off-the-shelf procurement towards long-lasting collaborations, innovation transfer, and joint R&D– backed by Saudi financier rewards and the strong youth demographics and human capital of both countries.
For Türkiye: Turkish Defense Industry Agency (SSB) President Haluk Gorgun highlighted the scale of Türkiye’s defense sector, covering around 4,500 defense SMEs, over 1,400 jobs, and an approximately $120 billion portfolio. He indicated a growing momentum with over 75 conferences held over the previous 3.5 years with Saudi bodies, consisting of GAMI, SAMI, and the General Authority for Defense Development (GADD).
Constructing the Supply Chain
State of Play: Throughout the occasion, SAMI, in partnership with DEIK, the Saudi-Turkish Business Council, and SAHA Istanbul, arranged the very first RUKN Supplier Day under its Local Content Program (RUKN). It united over 100 business, consisting of ASELSAN, HAVELSAN, ROKETSAN, and FNSS, along with Saudi and Turkish federal government and defense-sector agents.
What He Said: “Through RUKN, this event linked our business with certified providers and commercial partners. Our aspiration exceeds agreements to long lasting collaborations that enhance regional production, establish Saudi providers, and allow innovation and understanding transfer in line with Saudi Vision 2030.”– Eng. Thamer bin Mohammed Al-Muhid, CEO of SAMI Group.
The Regulatory Backing: Participating In the RUKN Suppliers Meeting, Al-Khorayef highlighted that structure dependable, varied supply chains is necessary for production connection and military preparedness– an objective RUKN advances by connecting Saudi factories straight with certified worldwide providers. On the sidelines of the occasion, he likewise held bilateral talks with SSB President Haluk Gorgun and visited Turkish drone leader Baykar to examine on-the-ground production abilities.
Vision 2030: The Road to Localization
The Target: Under Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia targets a 50% localization rate of military costs by the end of the years. Thanks to the efforts of GAMI, SAMI, and GADD, this rate has actually risen from 4% in 2018 to 27.3% by the end of 2025.
Concern Sectors:
Speaking at the Defense Industry Days occasion, SAHA Istanbul Vice Chairman and Roketsan CEO Murat Ikinci recognized 4 concern locations for quick joint R&D and engineering:
- Self-governing systems
- Integrated air and rocket defense
- Propulsion innovations
- Area systems
What to Watch: Ikinci kept in mind that Roketsan has actually currently started collaborations with SAMI and the Saudi National Company for Mechanical Systems (NCMS), with strategies to broaden into the wider SME supply chain.
From Defense Deals to the Makkah Alliance
The Anchor: The Istanbul occasion develops on 3 years of robust defense collaboration grounded in bilateral offers.
- 2023: The Saudi Defense Ministry signed a multi-billion-dollar export agreement with Turkish drone giant Baykar, along with follow-up arrangements to localize production of the Akıncı Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) inside the Kingdom.
- 2026: Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed an MoU throughout the World Defense Show in Riyadh for joint regional production of the Turkish native Gökbey multirole helicopter.
Looking Ahead: Conversations are likewise underway for Saudi Arabia’s joint financial investment and involvement in Türkiye’s KAAN stealth fighter jet program– an effort that Turkish President Erdogan clearly validated might be triggered as a complete collaboration.
Makkah Defense Alliance: On August 7, 2026, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, which states that an attack versus any among the 3 nations will be thought about an attack versus all 3, laying the ground for cumulative deterrence, collaborated military reaction, and joint commercial advancement. The pact was validated by the Turkish Parliament on November 5 and the law was formally released in the Turkish Official Gazette on November 14.
The Bottom Line: The Saudi-Türkiye Defense Industry Days occasion introduce a brand-new age where Riyadh becomes a local production and development center, developing the Kingdom as a beacon of security and stability.
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