MÜSİAD EXPO opens in Istanbul with key focus on Africa

ANKARA/ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency

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The 16th MÜSİAD EXPO opened on Nov. 9 in Istanbul, where thousands of businesspeople and investors from all over the world will explore new cooperation and partnership opportunities.

The expo will host in eight halls, 700 companies and 200,000 visitors from over 100 countries, according to the Independent Industrial and Business Association (MÜSİAD).      

The four-day expo will welcome business people from various sectors such as construction, textile, automotive, machinery, furniture, food, information technologies and defense.        

This year’s expo will focus on key aspects of trade with Africa, MÜSİAD noted. 

“MÜSİAD aims to increase the trade volume between Turkey and Africa by ensuring that businessmen from Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Ivory Coast and South Africa participate in the expo,” it added.      

The expo also aims to draw attention to “High-Tech Port,” the objective of which is to improve the Turkish defense and aviation industry, according to the event’s official website.    
  
The third High-Tech Port will be held in a separate hall at the expo, in collaboration with the Turkish Presidency and the Defense Ministry.       

“This year’s expo will host ministers of defense, force commanders, airlines, Turkish producers of advanced technology and major producers from over 20 countries including Airbus Boeing and Lockheed Martin,” the statement said.    

A separate international business forum will also be held on Nov. 10 within the framework of the expo. 

MÜSİAD is a Turkish NGO that helps facilitate trade between Turkish businessmen and those in other countries, consisting mostly of small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).      

The association has over 11,000 members and 50,000 member businesses, 86 domestic and 170 international contact points in 65 countries as of Nov. 8, according to its website.