Turkish President Receives Abu Dhabi Crown Prince in Ankara

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan review a guard of honor during a welcome ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, November 24, 2021. (Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan review a guard of honor during a welcome ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, November 24, 2021. (Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
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Turkish President Receives Abu Dhabi Crown Prince in Ankara

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan review a guard of honor during a welcome ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, November 24, 2021. (Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan review a guard of honor during a welcome ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, November 24, 2021. (Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)

Turkey and the United Arab Emirates signed accords on energy and technology investments on Wednesday after talks between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan in Ankara.

Sheik Mohammed's meeting with Erdogan, the first such visit in years, comes as the two countries work to mend frayed ties after a period of bitter regional rivalry, and amid a currency crisis in Turkey.

The memorandums of understanding were signed between the Abu Dhabi Development Holding (ADQ), Turkish Wealth Fund (TVF), and the Turkish Presidency Investment Office, as well as with some Turkish companies.

Following the talks, Sheikh Mohammed said he had "fruitful" talks with Erdogan on strengthening ties between Turkey and the UAE.

"I look forward to exploring new cooperation opportunities to benefit our two nations and advance our mutual development goals," he said on Twitter.

ADQ signed an accord on investing in Turkish technology firms and on establishing a technology-oriented fund, while Abu Dhabi Ports also signed an agreement on port and logistics cooperation.

A deal between ADQ and Turkish company Kalyon on energy and infrastructure, another with CCN Group on health cooperation, and a third with Turkey's Presidency Investment Office on renewable energy were also among the agreements, a Turkish official said.

The UAE announced it was establishing a $10 billion fund to support mainly strategic investments in Turkey, including in the health and energy fields, its state news agency WAM said.

The Turkish and Emirati central banks also signed a cooperation agreement on Wednesday.

Turkey said in September it was in talks with the UAE over investments in energy such as power generation, while the UAE, whose sovereign wealth funds have made significant investments in Turkish online grocer Getir and e-commerce platform Trendyol, has said it seeks deeper trade and economic ties with Ankara.

State broadcaster TRT Haber said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusogu will visit Abu Dhabi in mid-December.



Makkah Deputy Governor Carries Out Field Inspection of Grand Mosque Readiness for Ramadan 

Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz is seen during his inspection tour at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah. (SPA)
Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz is seen during his inspection tour at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah. (SPA)
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Makkah Deputy Governor Carries Out Field Inspection of Grand Mosque Readiness for Ramadan 

Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz is seen during his inspection tour at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah. (SPA)
Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz is seen during his inspection tour at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah. (SPA)

Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz inspected the readiness of the Grand Mosque and its facilities, conducting a field tour to review operational and service preparations for receiving worshippers and Umrah performers during the holy month of Ramadan, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday.

Prince Saud was briefed on the operational plans implemented by the relevant authorities, including crowd management mechanisms, service enhancements, and facility preparations aimed at ensuring smooth movement and enhancing comfort and safety levels for visitors to the Grand Mosque, particularly during peak times.

He reviewed developmental initiatives and smart services supporting the operational system, notably electric mobility carts for transporting the elderly, persons with disabilities, and those in need of assistance within the Grand Mosque.

The tour also included an overview of the efforts of guidance teams deployed across the corridors and courtyards of the Grand Mosque, providing multilingual assistance and direction.

Prince Saud reviewed the interactive map and digital mobility platform, which allows visitors to plan their routes in advance and identify service locations, entrances and exits, and less crowded pathways.

He was briefed on crowd management systems, including the visitor density sensor platform that measures human density in real time, and the Tawaf and Sa’i crowd status display service, which allows worshippers to select appropriate times to perform rituals with ease. Models of the modern multilingual guidance system were also reviewed.

Prince Saud also visited the Smart Engineering Command and Control Center, which serves as an advanced central platform linking operational systems and monitoring performance in real time, boosting operational efficiency and raising readiness levels during Ramadan.


Saudi Leadership Provides Two Donations Worth SAR150 Mln Through Jood Eskan Platform

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA)
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Saudi Leadership Provides Two Donations Worth SAR150 Mln Through Jood Eskan Platform

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA)

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, have provided two generous donations amounting to SAR150 million through the Jood Eskan platform.

The move aligns with the leadership's commitment to supporting all national efforts and initiatives to provide suitable housing for deserving families.

Minister of Municipalities and Housing and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Developmental Housing Foundation (Sakan) Majed Al-Hogail expressed his deep gratitude to the leadership for its unwavering support to all national efforts and initiatives aimed at providing suitable housing for eligible families across the Kingdom.

He noted the effective impact of previous generous donations in achieving the goals of housing development, and motivating individuals and institutions to donate through the Jood Eskan platform that is based on community giving that helps provide decent housing and boosts stability and quality of life for deserving families.


Saudi Crown Prince Receives Message on Bilateral Ties from President of Kazakhstan

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA file)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA file)
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Saudi Crown Prince Receives Message on Bilateral Ties from President of Kazakhstan

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA file)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA file)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received on Tuesday a written message from President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on bilateral relations between their two countries.

The message was received by Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah during a meeting with his Kazakh counterpart Yermek Kosherbayev in Riyadh.