Saudi Arabia agreed on Tuesday to buy Turkish drones, one of several lucrative contracts President Tayyip Erdogan secured for Turkey’s struggling economy as Ankara reaps the benefits of his recent diplomatic push to repair ties with Gulf Arab powers.
Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attended the signing ceremony between Turkish defence firm Baykar and the Saudi defence ministry, Saudi state news agency SPA reported. Erdogan arrived in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah for the first stop of a Gulf tour on Monday.
Saudi Arabia will acquire the drones “with the aim of enhancing the readiness of the kingdom’s armed forces and bolstering its defense and manufacturing capabilities,” Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said in a tweet on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed a number of memorandums of understanding in many fields including energy, direct investments and defence.
The two countries also signed a defence cooperation plan, the minister added.
Erdogan’s Gulf tour, which also includes Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, is due to conclude on July 19.
Earlier, President Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday for the first stop of a Gulf tour with “high hopes” for investment and finance as Turkey looks to ease budget strains, chronic inflation and a weakening currency.
Saudi state-run al-Ekhbariya television showed several Saudi officials welcoming Erdogan as he arrived at the venue of a Saudi-Turkish business forum in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.
Erdogan met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, late Monday night, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported.
“This visit has two main topics: investments, and a financial dimension. We have high hopes for both,” Erdogan told a news conference at an Istanbul airport before setting off.
“Turkey will have a serious investment opportunity in the defence industry, infrastructure and superstructure investments in the three countries,” he said.
“In addition, these countries will have the opportunity to purchase certain assets from Turkey,” he added.—Reuters
