Görgün: Türkiye and Saudi Arabia held 75 meetings in three years

Turkish Defence Industries President Haluk Görgün said Ankara is preparing programs to connect Turkish companies with local Saudi partners, noting that the two countries held more than 75 meetings over three years. He made the remarks on the sidelines of the Turkish-Saudi Defence Industries Days in Istanbul.

Haluk Görgün, president of Türkiye's Defence Industries Presidency, said cooperation between Türkiye and Saudi Arabia in the defence industries is expanding into new areas. He said the two countries had held more than 75 meetings over the past three years, an average of nearly two meetings a month between teams and institutions.

Görgün made the remarks to Anadolu on the sidelines of the Turkish-Saudi Defence Industries Days, held in Istanbul on Nov. 11 and 12 by the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), SAHA Istanbul and Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI). More than 100 Turkish companies and over 25 Saudi companies took part.

Saudi Arabian Military Industries delegation during the event in Istanbul

Connecting Turkish companies with local partners

“We are working on programs that bring our Turkish companies together with local partners in Saudi Arabia. Our comprehensive talks are continuing on research and development, human-capital development, infrastructure management, research programs, improving procurement processes and identifying areas for joint investment,” Görgün said, noting close communication with the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) and the Saudi Ministry of Defence.

He said the General Authority for Military Industries, established by Saudi Arabia in 2018 under Vision 2030, is similar in its philosophy to Türkiye's Defence Industries Presidency. Türkiye's defence industry sector includes more than 4,000 companies, ranging from prime contractors to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Bilateral meetings between Turkish and Saudi companies during the Defence Industries Days

According to the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board, the event featured more than 600 bilateral business meetings. Participants discussed joint production, technology transfer and research and development cooperation, as well as opportunities linking Türkiye's defence expertise with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

Photos: Anadolu, Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board, SAHA Istanbul

Görgün: Türkiye and Saudi Arabia held 75 meetings in three years