ABSTRACT Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is a multifunctional crop of immense economic importance, yet its productivity is frequently constrained by abiotic stressors, particularly soil salinity. The Drought- Induced 19 (Di19) gene family, which encodes conserved C2H2 zinc-finger transcription factors, has been identified as a critical regulator in plant stress responses. While the roles of Di19 members vary across species — acting as either positive or negative regulators — molecular characterization of these genes in local cotton germplasm remains limited. In this study, the expression profiles of GhDi19-1 and GhDi19-2 genes in 31 diverse cotton cultivars sourced from the National Genebank of Azerbaijan under 100 mM and 200 mM NaCl stress conditions were investigated. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis revealed significant transcriptomic variability between genotypes and stress levels. Notably, no universal expression trend was identified; both genes exhibited divergent upregulation and down-regulation patterns across salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive varieties, consistent with previous findings regarding the functional diversity of this family. These results underscore the complex regulatory role of Di19 genes in cotton and provide essential data for future functional studies aimed at improving salinity resilience in cotton through targeted breeding strategies