Saudi minister hails ‘strategic’ ties with Türkiye

ISTANBUL

Saudi Arabia’s Industry and Mineral Resources Minister Bandar bin Ibrahim AlKhorayef has said relations with Türkiye have reached a “distinguished and strategic” level, pointing to new opportunities in mining, industry and regional transport links.

AlKhorayef spoke to Anadolu Agency during a visit to Istanbul for the OECD Critical Minerals Forum, held as part of the Emerging Markets Forum Series organized by the OECD Istanbul Center.

“Relations between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, especially in industry and mining, are distinguished and strategic,” he said.

The minister said Türkiye has significant opportunities in nearly all target sectors included in its industrial strategy, adding that a railway connection project with Türkiye could offer a competitive alternative to regional logistical challenges.

“The railway link project with Türkiye will be a competitive alternative for addressing the challenges facing the region,” AlKhorayef said.

Saudi Transport Minister Saleh al-Jasser said last week that joint studies were continuing on a railway line that would connect Saudi Arabia and Türkiye through Jordan and Syria, with the work expected to be completed before the end of the year.

AlKhorayef said cooperation between countries had become increasingly important as global demand for minerals rises.

“We see great opportunities in the mining sector. The world today urgently needs more minerals,” he said. “Cooperation between countries is very important to secure the supply of these minerals.”

He said such cooperation could cover natural resources, production and intermediary industries needed to make minerals available for different sectors.

AlKhorayef said current regional challenges would also affect how countries view logistics, transport and related services.

“I am confident that what is happening during this crisis will create great opportunities for the entire region, just as happened during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said, adding that Saudi Arabia had used that period to develop its pharmaceutical industry and improve self-sufficiency.

The minister also said non-oil exports were among the most important indicators of the success of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program.

“The figures show that we are now reaping the benefits of the foundations laid in the industrial sector through exports,” he said.

AlKhorayef said Saudi Arabia had attracted major local and international investments under its industrial strategy, with global companies increasingly viewing the kingdom as a suitable investment destination.

He said the kingdom was focusing on products in which it could compete sustainably, both at home and abroad.

On mining, AlKhorayef said the sector had become one of the promising fields under Vision 2030 after initially suffering from a serious lack of investment.

Natural resources exist in many countries, he said, but stable regulations, investment and technology are needed to make them usable for industry.

He said Saudi Arabia’s International Mining Conference had become one of the world’s major platforms bringing together governments, mining companies, financial institutions, academia and technology players.

AlKhorayef added that regulatory reforms in Saudi Arabia had helped reduce obstacles for investors and shorten licensing periods, saying the kingdom’s experience could also benefit other stakeholders.

He also pointed to Saudi Arabia’s Human Capability Development Program and the “Factories of the Future” initiative, saying both were designed to support training, overseas education and the adaptation of industrial facilities to artificial intelligence and fourth industrial revolution technologies.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has entered its third and final phase as of 2026, AlKhorayef said, adding that this stage would deepen economic diversification.