Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan landed in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday looking to forge stronger ties with the UAE.
Mr Erdogan and his delegation were greeted by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court.
Also welcoming him were Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, Adviser for Special Affairs at the Ministry of the Presidential Court, Mohamed Al Suwaidi, Minister of Investment, and Saeed Al Dhaheri, UAE ambassador to Turkey.
Mr Erdogan is due to meet President Sheikh Mohamed on Wednesday, the final day of his tour of the Gulf.
Talks are expected to build on ties forged when Sheikh Mohamed visited Ankara in November 2021 and pledged a $10 billion fund to invest in Turkey's economy.
The two leaders last met in June after Mr Erdogan's re-election.
A number of deals and agreements are expected on Wednesday. Mr Erdogan has sought to improve diplomatic ties and friendships with Gulf nations after disagreements over the past decade.
Turkey, with its substantial population, manufacturing base and location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, is seen as a natural partner for business-minded Gulf nations.
Last week, Mr Erdogan said the tour would provide an opportunity for him to personally see the support that Gulf countries provide for Turkey.
“There are pledges from the Gulf countries, during our past meetings, to pump large investments into Turkey and we will put the finishing touches during our next tour,” he said.
Mr Erdogan said senior Turkish officials had visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE to prepare for his tour.
Turkish President Erdogan's visit to the Gulf region - in pictures
Before taking off from Istanbul, Mr Erdogan said the visit had two main priorities – “investment and a financial dimension”.
“Turkey will have a serious investment opportunity in the defence industry, infrastructure and superstructure investments in the three countries,” he said.
“In addition, these countries will have the opportunity to purchase certain assets from Turkey.”
An official reception was held in honour of Mr Erdogan on his arrival in Saudi Arabia on Monday, the first stop of a three-day tour.
The two sides signed deals across various sectors, including in the fields of defence and investment, Saudi Arabia's news agency Spa said.
Sheikh Mohamed was among the first world leaders to meet the Turkish President after his re-election.
The UAE President was accompanied by ministers and officials, including Sheikh Mansour 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,” state news agency Wam reported at the time.
Long-standing ties between nations
Relations between the UAE and Turkey go back several decades.
UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, paid a visit in 1984 in what was as a milestone moment in Arab-Turkish relations, making headline news across the Middle East.
Non-oil trade between the two nations reached about $19 billion last year, a jump of 40 per cent from 2021 and of more than 100 per cent from 2020.
This made Turkey the fastest-growing partner among the top 10 trade partners of the Emirates.
The UAE announced the establishment of a $10 billion investment fund in Turkey in November 2021. The focus of the fund was on strategic investment, most notably in the logistics, energy, health and food sectors.
The two countries have recently expanded air links, with Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai and Air Arabia connecting Dubai and Abu Dhabi with destinations such as Istanbul and Ankara, and some of the popular resorts on Turkey's south coast.
Plans to operate 10 weekly flights from Abu Dhabi to Istanbul were recently announced by Etihad.
Emirates also has strong presence in Turkey, with 21 weekly flights to Istanbul operated using Boeing-777 and Airbus A380 planes, as well as two flights in partnership with flydubai.
Air Arabia also has 50 weekly flights to Turkey. Most of these, 45 in total, depart from Sharjah International Airport, while the rest take off from Abu Dhabi International Airport.
Flydubai's network has grown to five destinations, including Ankara, Bodrum, Trabzon and Istanbul.
The airline has increased operations for the busy summer travel period.
Between June and September, flydubai will have operated up to 102 weekly flights between Dubai International and the five areas it serves in Turkey.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi started flights to Antalya early last month, running on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, as part of the summer season.
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
John Cena v Triple H
Matches to be announced
WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended
SPECS
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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'Manmarziyaan' (Colour Yellow Productions, Phantom Films)
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal
Rating: 3.5/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Match info
Uefa Nations League Group B:
England v Spain, Saturday, 11.45pm (UAE)
Company profile
Name: GiftBag.ae
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2011
Number of employees: 4
Sector: E-commerce
Funding: Self-funded to date
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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6.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh82.500 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Meshakel, Royston Ffrench (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
7.05pm Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
Winner Gervais, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (Turf) 2,410m
Winner Global Heat, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
8.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Firnas, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.50pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (TB) Conditions Dh183,650 (D) 1,600m
Winner Rebel’s Romance, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm Dubai Trophy (TB) Conditions Dh183,650 (T) 1,200m
Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
10pm Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (T) 1,400m
Winner Wasim, Mickael Barzalona, Ismail Mohammed.
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
