As Turkey strives to ameliorate its economic troubles, the meeting will be the culmination of months of efforts to restore ties.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday was an example of a shared desire to usher in a new era in relations between Ankara and Riyadh, and that he intended to strengthen relationships based on mutual respect and trust.

Erdogan told reporters before leaving Turkey that he believed more collaboration in the areas of health, energy, food security, defence industry, and finance would benefit both countries.

The Turkish president announced that he will meet with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS), the country’s de facto ruler, signalling a turnaround in ties that had struck rock bottom following the assassination of a prominent Saudi critic at the kingdom’s embassy in Istanbul in 2018.

According to senior Turkish sources, Erdogan will see King Salman bin Abdulaziz in addition to Crown Prince MBS.