ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, TUSAŞ and other Turkish defense companies participated in the Turkey-Saudi Arabia Defense Industry Days held in Istanbul, where bilateral cooperation potential was extensively discussed. Saudi Arabia's defense industry official stated during the event that Turkey's sectoral experience represents an important resource. Organized by the Foreign Economic Relations Council (DEİK), SAHA Istanbul, and Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), the event brought together over 100 Turkish and more than 25 Saudi companies for bilateral business meetings and negotiations.

The official noted that industrial relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia have developed over time, emphasizing that security challenges in the region necessitate close cooperation between the two nations' defense sectors. Evaluating Saudi Arabia's progress in attracting defense industry investments, he stated that partnerships between Turkish and Saudi companies could increase these investments. He underscored that governments' primary responsibility is to facilitate private sector development, with defense sector growth driven by private enterprise leadership.

The official outlined three areas of government support for companies: identification of priority cooperation and investment sectors, creation of an ecosystem encompassing infrastructure and financing opportunities required by the private sector, and provision of necessary contracts and predictability regarding future demand to enable company investment decisions. He noted that Saudi Arabia has identified technologies of current and near-future importance and is concentrating investments in these areas.

Highlighting the rapid technological transformation in the defense sector, the official stated that the integration of new technologies in military and defense applications will significantly alter the sector's future. He emphasized that skilled workforce, youth potential, and education will play decisive roles in this transformation, noting that Turkey and Saudi Arabia possess significant capabilities in these areas. He indicated that Saudi Arabia is focused on attracting experienced companies with technology development capacity to the country, with SAMI and the Rukn program playing important roles in promoting investment and cooperation opportunities.

The official noted that the participation of approximately 100 Turkish companies demonstrated their commitment to understanding Saudi Arabia's needs and collaborating with companies like SAMI. Emphasizing that shared defense industry interests between the two nations present significant opportunities for strengthening relations, he stated that they seek to further develop cooperation with Turkey in the defense sector, expressing satisfaction that their interests align with SSB President Haluk Görgün in this domain.