Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Ankara, Mohammad Al Hussaini, predicted a significant expansion in bilateral commercial relations following King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz's visit to Türkiye, during which the two countries signed agreements on double taxation and trade promotion.
Hussaini told the Anadolu Agency that annual trade between the two nations stood at roughly $3 billion but could multiply two or three times within a year. He also noted that the number of Turkish workers in Saudi Arabia, currently around 85,000, could double to 170,000 as new projects come online.
The ambassador highlighted tourism as an underexplored area of cooperation, praising Türkiye's coastal resorts, including Fethiye, Marmaris, and Bodrum, as places of exceptional natural beauty he had not encountered in his 40-year diplomatic career. Several Saudi businesspeople have already expressed interest in investing in Türkiye's tourism sector.
On the question of Türkiye deepening ties with Muslim-majority nations, Hussaini dismissed European criticism, noting that those same countries conduct their own trade with Saudi Arabia. Cultural exchanges, academic programs, and reciprocal business delegation visits were also cited as priorities going forward.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.