Turkey and Saudi Arabia have signed an agreement to scrap visa requirements for some of their citizens during talks in Ankara.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan signed the deal on Wednesday for holders of diplomatic and special passports, according to the Saudi Foreign Ministry.
The deal was reached at a meeting between the two officials, during which they reviewed bilateral relations, discussed regional developments and explored ways to maintain security and stability in the region, according to the ministry.
Prince Faisal and Mr Fidan also co-chaired the third meeting of the Turkish-Saudi Co-ordination Council.
The council, established in 2016, serves as a mechanism for co-operation and consultation aimed at strengthening relations across several fields.
The first meeting of the council was held in Ankara in 2017, while the second meeting took place in Riyadh in 2025.
Relations between Ankara and Riyadh were strained after the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, which Turkey said involved senior Saudi officials. The two countries began steps towards repairing ties in 2020.
Since 2021, relations have improved markedly, with Turkey dropping its accusations of Saudi state involvement in Mr Khashoggi’s killing and both sides advancing efforts to rebuild diplomatic and economic relations.
The two countries have also expanded co-operation in multilateral forums. Bilateral trade reached $8.5 billion by the end of 2025, according to official Turkish data, with defence co-operation emerging as a key pillar of the rapidly improving relationship.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia signed a major agreement to purchase Turkish-made drones with defence firm Baykar. Saudi officials said at the time the drones would enhance the kingdom’s military readiness and strengthen its defence and industrial capabilities, while Baykar described the contract as the largest defence and aviation export in Turkish history.
During the visit, Prince Faisal also met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and discussed ways to enhance co-operation to serve mutual interests and contribute to security and stability in the region, according to the ministry.
Ankara has intensified its regional alliance efforts amid the Iran war and Iranian attacks on Gulf countries. Prince Faisal last visited Turkey in April to attend talks with the foreign ministers of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan to push for regional de-escalation.
