Riyadh Welcomes Erdogan: Landmark Visit Solidifying Saudi-Turkish Partnership
The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has embarked on a two-day Middle Eastern tour, with the first stop in Saudi Arabia.
The high-profile visit serves as a powerful testament to the Kingdom’s central role as a global economic hub and the anchor of regional stability.
Erdogan Visits Riyadh
The Turkish presidency announced that Erdogan embarked on a regional tour to two of the Middle East most powerful countries. “President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will pay a visit to Saudi Arabia on February 3, 2026 and to Egypt on February 4, 2026,” Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said in a statement.
Erdogan’s visit to Saudi Arabia comes at the invitation of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, the statement added.
During the visit, Erdogan will hold high-level meetings in Riyadh to discuss ways to further deepen cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Discussions will also involve the latest regional and global developments.
Strengthening Saudi-Turkish Ties
According to Turkish media, Erdogan will meet with the Saudi Crown Prince to review progress in bilateral relations and explore avenues for enhancing cooperation across various fields.
Moreover, the two leaders will exchange views on regional and global developments. The meeting will focus on aligning strategic interests, particularly in areas of trade, investment, and security coordination within the Gulf and the wider Middle East.
Boosting Investment Cooperation
A high-level business delegation will accompany the Turkish President to bolster trade volume, promote mutual investments, and deepen private sector cooperation.
On Tuesday, Riyadh will host the Saudi-Turkish Investment Forum featuring dignitaries, high-level officials and private sector leaders from both countries, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The forum aims to discuss aspects of cooperation in areas of mutual interest and explore investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia. It will also involve bilateral meetings between representatives of the private sector from both countries to explore potential opportunities for partnership and investment.
On this occasion, the Chair of the Türkiye-Saudi Arabia Business Council at the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), Hasim Sungu, told Anadolu Agency: “Erdogan’s visit to Saudi Arabia represents the will of the two countries to elevate their relations, especially in economy and investments, as well as further advancing private sector cooperation.”
Bilateral Trade Volume
In 2024, trade volume between the Kingdom and Türkiye surpassed $8 billion, according to date from the Turkish Statistical Institute.
Crude oil and petrochemical products dominate Saudi Arabia’s exports to Türkiye, while the Kingdom’s imports from the country include carpets, processed stones for construction, food, and furniture.
In light of this, Sungu emphasized that the long-term goal is a $30 billion partnership, leveraging the industrial and investment capacities of both economies.
“The way to achieve such goals is to transcend the traditional understanding of trade and boost investments, support domestic production, and conduct project-based cooperation,” he said.
Vision 2030 Momentum
As the two countries further deepen their partnership, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye have identified key strategic frontiers for joint investment, including energy, infrastructure, construction, industry, defense, healthcare, tourism, and digital transformation.
Within this context, Sungu highlighted synergy between Saudi Vision 2030 transformational agenda and Türkiye’s industrial, engineering, and technological capacities.
He noted that the Kingdom’s landmark giga-projects, such as NEOM, Qiddiya, the Red Sea Destination, and AlUla, serve as premier platforms for Turkish expertise to contribute to the construction, technology, and world-class infrastructure that will define the region’s future.
Most recently, the Saudi Cabinet authorized the Ministers of Energy and Interior to discuss and conclude agreements with the Turkish side in the fields of renewable energy and civil defense.
Furthermore, the Saudi Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Türkiye to boost cooperation in the field of social services.
Championing Regional Stability
Leveraging the Kingdom’s status as a central pillar of regional security, Riyadh and Ankara have increasingly synchronized their foreign policies to promote security and stability in the Middle East and the wider region.
The Kingdom and Türkiye maintain a unified and unwavering stance on the Palestinian issue. Both countries advocate for a two-state solution that establishes an independent Palestinian State based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Their coordinated diplomatic efforts successfully culminated in the historic 2025 wave of international recognitions of Palestinian Statehood, reinforcing the two-state solution as the only viable path to lasting peace.
Moreover, Riyadh and Ankara have emerged as the leading backers of the Syrian transitional government, led by President Ahmed Al-Sharaa. They have prioritized Syria’s return to the Arab fold, focusing their efforts on economic recovery and large-scale reconstruction to facilitate the safe return of refugees to a unified and stable Syrian state.
This strategic coordination extends to the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. The two countries have also coordinated humanitarian and diplomatic responses to crises in Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen through regional and international platforms. Their shared objective is to restore central state authority and protect vital maritime corridors, ensuring the Red Sea remains a zone of security and prosperity.
