TEHRAN -- The second Shiraz Expo and the inaugural Shiraz Art Expo opened in Shiraz on Sunday, bringing together more than 200 Iranian companies and 343 international guests from 13 countries for a six-day program of exhibitions, business meetings and cultural exchange. 
The event occupies 20,000 square meters of exhibition space and positions Fars province as a potential hub for international investment and the commercial development of Iranian art and handicrafts.
The Art Expo introduces a dedicated platform for presenting visual art and traditional crafts to international buyers, traders and cultural partners. 
Alongside exhibitions, the program includes specialist seminars and business-to-business meetings, with an emphasis on developing export opportunities and connecting artists with commercial networks. 
Organizers have described the initiative as a step towards strengthening the art economy and expanding the international reach of regional artists.
The opening ceremony was attended by Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, and Hussein-Ali Amiri, governor-general of Fars province, alongside parliamentary representatives and economic officials.
In his address, Salehi-Amiri characterized Fars as the “heart of Iran,” highlighting its concentration of historical monuments, literary traditions, artistic production and cultural heritage. 
He also presented cultural identity as a source of national resilience, placing the exhibition within a broader narrative of Iranian civilization and resistance to external pressure.
Amiri emphasized the province’s readiness to facilitate foreign investment, promising administrative and legal support for prospective partners. 
He cited the previous edition’s reported $3.5 billion in memoranda of understanding and contracts as evidence of the event’s commercial potential. 
This year’s exhibition also features 155 stands and the presentation of a catalogue identifying more than 500 business and employment opportunities across the province.
By bringing cultural production into a wider economic exhibition, Shiraz Expo offers a framework for connecting heritage and contemporary creative practice with commercial opportunity.