Saudi Arabia, Türkiye Agree on Visa Exemption for Diplomatic and Special Passports

The Turkish President receives the Saudi Foreign Minister in the presence of his Turkish counterpart in Ankara on Wednesday (SPA)
The Turkish President receives the Saudi Foreign Minister in the presence of his Turkish counterpart in Ankara on Wednesday (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia, Türkiye Agree on Visa Exemption for Diplomatic and Special Passports

The Turkish President receives the Saudi Foreign Minister in the presence of his Turkish counterpart in Ankara on Wednesday (SPA)
The Turkish President receives the Saudi Foreign Minister in the presence of his Turkish counterpart in Ankara on Wednesday (SPA)

Saudi Arabia and Türkiye have signed a reciprocal visa exemption agreement for holders of diplomatic and special passports.

After the signing of the agreement, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.

During Wednesday’s meeting, the two sides reviewed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen cooperation to serve common interests and promote security and stability in the region.

The meeting was attended by Saudi Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji, the Kingdom’s Ambassador to Türkiye, Fahad Abualnasr, and Director General of the General Department for Councils and Committees Fahad Alharthi.

 

06 May 2026, Türkiye, Ankara: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud sign a bilateral agreement on mutual visa exemption for diplomatic and special passport holders following the third meeting of the Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council in Ankara. Photo: -/Saudi Press Agency/dpa

 

Also Wednesday, Prince Faisal and Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan co-chaired the third meeting of the Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council in Ankara.

The meeting reflected the advanced relations between the two countries and their commitment to strengthening coordination and cooperation across all fields in a manner that serves common interests and meets the aspirations of the leadership and peoples of both countries.

At the outset of the meeting, the ministers reviewed relations between the two countries and stressed the importance of institutionalizing current and future cooperation within the framework of the Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council to ensure sustainable progress and shared prosperity.

They also stressed the need to leverage the capabilities and resources available to both countries to achieve mutual benefits, while commending the role of the council’s secretariat and affiliated committees.

The two ministers hoped to hold the fourth meeting of the council in the Kingdom on a date to be agreed upon by both sides.

 

06 May 2026, 06 May 2026, Türkiye, Ankara: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud following the third meeting of the Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council in Ankara. Photo: -/Saudi Press Agency/dpa

 

The Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council, established in 2016, is a mechanism for cooperation and consultation between the two countries aimed at developing and strengthening relations in all their dimensions within an institutional framework.

The first meeting of the Council was held in Ankara on February 7 and 8, 2017, while the second meeting was held in Riyadh on May 18, 2025.

The Council includes 5 sub-committees with the participation of relevant authorities from both countries: The Political and Diplomatic Committee, the Military and Security Committee, the Culture, Sports, Media, and Tourism Committee, the Social Development, Health, and Education Committee, and the Trade, Industry, Investment, Infrastructure, and Energy Committee.

Regular meetings of the sub-committees are held, the last of which was the meeting of the Political and Diplomatic Committee held virtually on April 28 last year to prepare for the Council's third meeting.



Kuwait Sentence 3 to Death for Collaborating with Iran, Plotting to Assassinate Interior Minister

Sheikh Hussein Abdullah Al-Matouq and Hassan Abdulhadi Hajieh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Sheikh Hussein Abdullah Al-Matouq and Hassan Abdulhadi Hajieh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Kuwait Sentence 3 to Death for Collaborating with Iran, Plotting to Assassinate Interior Minister

Sheikh Hussein Abdullah Al-Matouq and Hassan Abdulhadi Hajieh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Sheikh Hussein Abdullah Al-Matouq and Hassan Abdulhadi Hajieh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Kuwaiti Criminal Court, represented by the State Security Circuit, sentenced on Monday three defendants to death and eight others to five years in prison, in a case involving espionage for Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah, and plotting to assassinate the Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf, along with other state figures.

The court, presided over by Counselor Nasser Al-Badr, convicted Sheikh Hussein Abdullah Al-Matouq, Hassan Abdulhadi Hajieh and Abdulreza Haidar Dehqani, an Iranian national, with harming Kuwait's national interests, spying for foreign entities, and joining the Lebanese Hezbollah group.

The Public Prosecution charged the defendants with committing acts that would undermine the independence, unity, and territorial integrity of the country, as well as seeking and communicating with Iran and Hezbollah to carry out hostile acts against Kuwait, which included plotting to assassinate the Minister of Interior and other leading figures.

Case documents revealed that remaining defendants held meetings to plan the assassination and assigned roles among themselves. An eleventh defendant was tasked with providing the necessary equipment to execute the plot, acting under instructions from the first three defendants who received death sentences.

The court stressed that "national security is not the interest of an individual or a faction, but a right of society as a whole," adding that state sovereignty cannot be contested by a foreign power.


Saudi Leadership Offers Condolences to Chinese President over Earthquake Victims in Xizang

Joint photo of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud - File Photo
Joint photo of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud - File Photo
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Saudi Leadership Offers Condolences to Chinese President over Earthquake Victims in Xizang

Joint photo of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud - File Photo
Joint photo of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud - File Photo

Saudi Arabia’s leadership sent cables of condolence to China following the earthquake that struck Baqen County in the Xizang Autonomous Region, expressing sympathy over the loss of lives.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud sent a cable of condolences to Chinese President Xi Jinping, expressing his deepest sympathies to the president, the families of the victims, and the Chinese people over the deaths, injuries, and missing persons resulting from the earthquake. He also wished for the safe return of those missing and a speedy recovery for the injured.

Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud also sent a cable to President Xi Jinping, conveying his heartfelt condolences and wishing for the safe return of those missing and a swift recovery for the injured.


Saudi FM, Brazilian Counterpart Discuss Regional and Int'l Developments

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi FM, Brazilian Counterpart Discuss Regional and Int'l Developments

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received a phone call from his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Tuesday.

During the call, the two ministers reviewed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them in various fields. They also discussed regional and international developments and several issues of mutual interest.