The main event on Saba Saba is the Dar es Salaam International trade fair. The fair is meant to promote the export of Tanzanian goods, and thus, international trade with the rest of the world.

First held in 1963, the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair is now gigantic. There are usually around 1,500 or more exhibits from 15 to 20 countries, huge crowds hailing from numerous different nations, and an abundance of peripheral food and entertainment related activities.

The fair is put on by the Board of External Trade and is supported by a large number of government and private organisations.