His Excellency the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Engineer Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, concluded his official visit to the Republic of Turkey, during which he headed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's delegation participating in the Second Ministerial Conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Transport, hosted by Istanbul. This visit comes within the framework of strengthening strategic relations between the two countries and opening new horizons for cooperation in the vital transport and logistics sectors.
Strategic background: Saudi-Turkish rapprochement and Vision 2030
This visit gains significance from a broader context of remarkable development in Saudi-Turkish relations in recent years. After a period of stagnation, relations have gained new momentum, marked by high-level reciprocal visits, paving the way for enhanced economic and trade cooperation. This step aligns perfectly with the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which places the transport and logistics sector at the heart of its strategy to diversify the national economy. The National Transport and Logistics Strategy aims to transform the Kingdom into a global logistics hub connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa, making Turkey, with its unique geographical location as a bridge between East and West, an ideal strategic partner for realizing these ambitions.
The importance of the visit and its expected impact
His Excellency Minister Al-Jasser delivered the Kingdom's address at the conference, highlighting the ambitious projects and promising investment opportunities offered by the Saudi transport sector. He was accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising officials from various sectors within the transport and logistics system. On the sidelines of the conference, Minister Al-Jasser held a series of bilateral meetings with several ministers and officials from the public and private sectors in Türkiye, where they discussed ways to enhance cooperation and develop investment partnerships.
Domestically, these discussions aim to enable Saudi private sector companies to benefit from Turkey’s advanced expertise in infrastructure and logistics, and to attract foreign direct investment to the Kingdom, thereby contributing to job creation and the transfer of knowledge and technology. Regionally and internationally, the integration between the two countries, two of the largest economies in the region and members of the G20, will reshape trade routes. Establishing efficient and interconnected transport links between Saudi Arabia and Turkey will enhance the resilience of global supply chains and offer new alternatives for trade between Asia and Europe, thus strengthening the strategic position of both countries on the international stage.
