Saudi Minister of Defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, met on Wednesday with the President of Defense Industry Agency, Haluk Gorgun, and executives of leading Turkish defense industrial companies, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
During the meeting, they explored cooperation opportunities in the military and defense sectors, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
Furthermore, the Saudi Defense Minister and Gorgun witnessed the signing of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between several Saudi and Turkish companies. Senior officials from both countries attended the meeting and the signing ceremony.
The meeting and the signing of MoUs came as part of Prince Khalid bin Salman official visit to Türkiye. During the visit, which started on Tuesday, the Saudi Minister of Defense met with Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Ankara. They discussed the bilateral relations and ways to enhance them. They also discussed the latest regional and international developments and the efforts made towards them.
Last February, Deputy Turkish President, Cevdet Yılmaz, emphasized boosting tourism cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Tourism development is an important driver of growth for the future of both Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
Both countries enjoy rich heritage and various historical sites, making them attractive tourist destinations. Yılmaz pointed to a significant 70% increase in Saudi tourists visiting Türkiye in 2023, with number of visitors reaching around 830,000. Yılmaz held discussion with Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khatib. Their talks focused on increasing the flow of Turkish visitors to Saudi Arabia.
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia reached a consensus on the importance of evaluating tourism opportunities and enhancing economic cooperation. In this light, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister, expressed hope for a significant influx of one million Saudi tourists in Türkiye by 2024.
