Ali Bayramoglu, chairman of the Turkish-Saudi Business Council, said King Abdullah's personal commitment carries exceptional weight in advancing economic relations between Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, given that royal decisions in the kingdom are carried out without question by officials.
In an interview with the Anadolu Agency, Bayramoglu outlined two priorities: channeling Saudi oil revenues into investments in Türkiye, and bringing bilateral trade into better balance. He cautioned, however, that significant investment flows are unlikely in the near term, suggesting that expanding commercial activity should come first, with investment expected to follow.
Bayramoglu also noted that King Abdullah's visit carries broader regional significance, with Middle East developments likely to affect the Turkish business community directly.
On the construction side, Bayramoglu raised the possibility that Turkish contractors could play a role in building a planned new Saudi city, sometimes called the "new Jeddah" and officially linked to King Abdullah's name. Saudi Arabia has set aside 25 billion dollars for that project.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in August 2006, in its own words.