Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Jeddah on Monday on the first leg of a three-state Gulf tour with business and investment at the top of the agenda. He was received by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and met with several Saudi ministers and officials.
Bilateral Relations And Cooperation
The pair discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance cooperation in all fields, in addition to the latest regional and international developments. They also attended the signing of several agreements in the fields of energy, defense industries, research and development, direct investment, and media, as well as two contracts with Turkish company Baykar.
The trade between Turkey and Saudi Arabia amounted to $6.5 billion last year and reached $3.4 billion in the first half of this year. Erdogan is leading a massive delegation of government ministers and officials, and about 200 business leaders, investors, and company owners.
Erdogan's visit to Saudi Arabia will be followed by trips to the UAE and Qatar, with business forums taking place in all three countries. "Our primary agenda will be joint investment and commercial activities with these countries", Erdogan said.
Electric Car Gift
After the completion of the ceremony, Turkish President Recep Erdogan gifted Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman with an electric car called Togg, which has been domestically produced in Turkish. The two leaders tested the electric car, which is expected to hit the market in 2023.
Togg is Türkiye's first domestic car brand and aims to produce five different models by 2030. The project is backed by a consortium of Turkish companies and has received state support.
The electric car gift is seen as a gesture of goodwill and a sign of improvement ties between the two countries, which have experienced some tensions in recent years over regional issues such as Syria, Libya, Qatar, and Yemen.
Official Reception
Saudi Arabia held an official reception ceremony in honor of the visiting Turkish President. The discussion was attended by Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Energy; Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Sports; Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Interior; Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Defence; Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Attendees from the Turkish side included Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan; Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar; Minister of National Defence Yasar Guler; Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacir, Minister of Trade Omer Bolat; and Necmettin Bilal Erdogan, son of the Turkish President, along with other high - level officials.
The visit is expected to result in several agreements across sectors including energy, pharmaceuticals, technology, food, logistics, agriculture, and petrochemicals. Türkiye's urgent need to attract foreign direct investment and boost its international currency reserves is closely tied to this visit.
