Organised by SAHA Istanbul, Türkiye’s and Europe’s largest defence and aerospace cluster, SAHA 2026 International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition will take place at the Istanbul Expo Center on 5–9 May 2026.
Bringing the global ecosystem together across 100,000+ sqm of exhibition area, SAHA 2026 will host 1,500+ exhibitors, positioning Istanbul as a high-density meeting point for capability, procurement and strategic cooperation.
Anchored by the vision “Rule the Technology, Shape the Future,” SAHA 2026 is designed not only as a showcase, but as an investment, business development and commercialisation-driven strategic platform. Building on the verified international impact of the 2024 edition: 1,478 companies from 120+ countries, 25,000+ planned meetings, 133 cooperation agreements, and USD 6.2 billion in business volume, SAHA 2026 aims to elevate outcomes through a stronger focus on investable technology portfolios, scalable production capacity, supply-chain partnerships, and export-oriented value chain integration.
A defining pillar of SAHA 2026 will be the high-level participation of commercial and official delegations. Hosted buyers and procurement teams will assess exhibitor capabilities on-site, accelerating pathways to supplier selection, co-production models, programme-based cooperation, and long-term capacity planning. In parallel, official delegations and institutional decision-makers will gain a direct view of the ecosystem’s capacity map, strengthening strategic coordination, trust-based collaboration, and agenda-setting at senior levels.
The exhibition’s programme architecture is expanding to match operational reality and sector demand. A significantly enhanced Outdoor & Naval Exhibition Area, complemented by naval asset visits at Sarayburnu and Ataköy, will enable close-up engagement with full-scale platforms. Meanwhile, live demonstrations and competitions, including the FPV Drone Area, the SAHA UGV Challenge, and the SAHA Rover Challenge, will reinforce SAHA 2026’s field-oriented character through scenario-based capability exposure.
Another flagship component, World Drone Wars, is positioned as a results-driven platform, first of its kind globally, enabling FPV drone technologies to be tested under realistic warfare conditions and accelerating the maturation of innovative solutions. The initiative aims to strengthen Türkiye’s reference position in FPV technologies and support the transformation of FPV drones into a high-effect capability shaped across the doctrine–technology–operations axis.
Through “SAHA Talks” and keynote sessions, SAHA 2026 will address priority themes from a decision-maker perspective, including digital transformation, artificial intelligence, dual-use technologies, and the evolving threat environment. In the space domain, the planetarium-inspired “Space Dome” will serve as a dedicated stage that brings together international guests, astronauts, sector leaders and decision-makers under a single dome for panels and keynotes.
SAHA 2026 will also host signing ceremonies where agreements on technology transfer, co-development, and long-term supply partnerships are announced, alongside plans to welcome 300+ new product launches spanning land, naval, air, space and unmanned systems.
At the intersection of defence innovation and global investment agendas, SAHA 2026 will create visibility and matchmaking for startups, scalable SMEs, corporate investors and strategic partners across dual-use technology areas aligned with mechanisms such as NATO DIANA and the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF). In doing so, SAHA 2026 reinforces an investment-based exhibition approach where innovation is evaluated not only as an “idea,” but through supply-chain readiness, production capability and market access.
By integrating exhibition, experience, meetings and content under one strategic roof, SAHA 2026 will serve as an outcome-focused business development platform, accelerating international cooperation and technological deepening across the defence and aerospace ecosystem, while supporting Türkiye’s vision to become a global force in technology production.
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