UAE President visits newly re-elected Turkish leader

President Sheikh Mohamed was among the first world leaders to meet the newly re-elected Turkish president on Saturday.

The UAE head of state was greeted by Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the start of an official trip to Istanbul.

Sheikh Mohamed's discussions will include efforts to boost the "comprehensive economic partnership that bring the two countries together", state news agency Wam reported.

Hakan Fidan, Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs, and a number of ministers and senior officials were present as the President received an honour guard welcome.

Mr Erdogan saw off a challenge to his two-decade rule in a close election last month. He will serve for at least five more years.

Observers predict closer relations with the Gulf nations to be high on his agenda, as he looks to boost ties and attract investment in Turkey, which has faced economic stagnation and a weakening lira.

"The two leaders will hold talks later to discuss opportunities for strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries, with a focus on further enhancing economic co-operation and supporting regional stability," Wam said.

Sheikh Mohamed was accompanied by ministers and officials, including Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, and Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology.

"The two leaders discussed their shared interest in advancing sustainable economic growth and social development, and explored opportunities for further collaboration in focus areas including the economy, advanced technology, renewable energy, transport and logistics, manufacturing, tourism, and culture," Wam added.

On Saturday, Istanbul is hosting the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan.

Economic ties

This weekend's trip, one of only a handful of overseas visits by Sheikh Mohamed since he became president 13 months ago, reflects the depth of Emirati-Turkish relations.

As Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed visited Turkey in November 2021, while Mr Erdogan visited the UAE in February last year.

The two leaders held a summit remotely in March, during which they witnessed the signing ceremony of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and Turkey.

That agreement, worth potentially billions of dollars in trade, is designed to boost output, jobs and services between the two countries.

Turkish and Emirati relations go back decades.

A visit by UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, in 1984 was regarded as a major moment in Arab-Turkish relations, making front page news across the Middle East.

The total non-oil trade between the UAE and Turkey reached nearly $19 billion last year, an increase of 40 per cent from 2021 and more than 100 per cent from 2020, making Turkey the fastest-growing partner among the top 10 trade partners of the Emirates.

In November 2021, the UAE announced the establishment of a $10 billion investment fund in Turkey, focusing on strategic investments, most notably in the logistics sectors, including energy, health and food.

Air route growth

The two countries have seen a recent expansion in air links, with Emirates, Etihad irways, flydubai and Air Arabia connecting Dubai and Abu Dhabi with destinations including Istanbul and Ankara, and some of the popular resorts on the south coast.

Etihad recently announced plans to operate 10 weekly flights from Abu Dhabi to Istanbul.

With 21 weekly flights to Istanbul on Boeing-777 and Airbus A380 aircraft, as well as two flights in partnership with flydubai, Emirates has a strong presence in Turkey.

Air Arabia operates 50 weekly flights to Turkey, including seasonal flights. Most of these flights, 45 in total, depart from Sharjah International Airport, while the remaining five depart from Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Flydubai has grown its network to five destinations in the market including Ankara Airport, Bodrum Airport, Trabzon Airport, and Istanbul International Airport.

Flydubai plans to ramp up operations for the busy summer travel period. Between June and September, flydubai will operate up to 102 weekly flights between Dubai International and the five points it serves in Turkey.

Starting in early June, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi started flights to Antalya, operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, as part of the current summer season.