Saudi Arabia buys Turkish drones during Erdogan's visit

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 on Monday for the first stop of a Gulf tour.

Saudi Arabia will acquire the drones "with the aim of enhancing the readiness of the kingdom's armed forces and bolstering its defence and manufacturing capabilities," Defence Minister Prince Khalid Bin Salman said in a tweet on Tuesday.

SPA did not give details about the value of the deal.

Mohammed Bin Salman meets Tayyip Erdogan in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. Reuters

Saudi Arabia will acquire the drones "with the aim of enhancing the readiness of the kingdom's armed forces and bolstering its defence and manufacturing capabilities," Defence Minister Prince Khalid Bin Salman said in a tweet on Tuesday.

SPA did not give details about the value of the deal.

Investments and funding from the Gulf have helped relieve pressure on Turkey's economy and its currency reserves since 2021, when Ankara launched a diplomatic effort to repair ties with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Erdogan will travel to Qatar on Tuesday, the second stop of his first Gulf tour since his re-election in May. On Wednesday, he is due in the United Arab Emirates.

SPA said Erdogan and Prince Mohammed attended the signing of a defence cooperation plan by Prince Khalid and Tukish Defence Minister Yasar Guler.

The two countries also inked several memorandums of understanding in different sectors including energy, real estate and direct investments, SPA said.

Last month, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek travelled to the UAE to discuss "economic cooperation opportunities" with counterparts, and they met UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ankara said.

Reuters