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The United Arab Emirates' Ambassador to Ankara, Said Sani Al-Zahiri, said tourism traffic between the UAE and Türkiye has surged by over 50% since 2019, as bilateral trade and energy partnerships continue to deepen.
Speaking at the launch of the “Al Bait Al Emarati Cultural Gathering” in Ankara, Al-Zahiri told reporters the Emirati cultural program aims to strengthen people-to-people ties and promote creative tourism routes.
“This event, which is expected to draw over 10,000 visitors, supports bilateral relations and helps deepen people-to-people interaction,” he said, noting that trade between the two countries jumped 87% between 2020 and 2024.
Al-Zahiri said tourism figures have grown significantly, with 1.2 million UAE and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) citizens visiting Türkiye in 2023.
“Tourism traffic between the UAE and Türkiye has grown by more than 50% since 2019. More than 250,000 Turkish tourists also traveled to the UAE,” he said.
He credited over 200 weekly flights, cultural programs, and joint marketing campaigns between tourism boards and airlines for supporting the flow, adding that the Emirati House event also encourages cultural tourism partnerships and festival exchanges.
Citing data from the UAE Ministry of Economy and Trade, Al-Zahiri said non-oil trade volume reached $39.13 billion in 2024, a 7.61% annual increase.
The UAE’s imports from Türkiye rose 10% to $19.42 billion, while its exports to Türkiye climbed 14.4% to $14.77 billion.
“To reach the medium-term trade target of $50 billion, Türkiye and the UAE must deepen integration in logistics, agricultural technologies, renewable energy, manufacturing, and digital trade, which together account for more than 60% of current trade,” he said.
Al-Zahiri emphasized that the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), along with shared free zones, customs regulations, and sector-specific business councils, will accelerate economic cooperation.
He said the UAE has invested $1 billion in Türkiye’s IT, electronics, transportation, and real estate sectors since 2020 and noted that future commitments exceeding $50 billion in ports, logistics, and energy would further build momentum.
He said CEPA enabled strong growth in metals, petrochemicals, food products, machinery, jewelry, and logistics by reducing tariffs and simplifying rules of origin.
Highlighting Türkiye’s industrial capacity, with more than 350 organized industrial zones and 1.5 million industrial workers, Al-Zahiri said its diverse production infrastructure aligns with the UAE’s supply chain goals.
“Joint supply chain integration increases the competitiveness of both economies,” he said, citing Türkiye’s strengths in automotive, machinery, electronics, and textiles, as well as emerging sectors like artificial intelligence and digital technologies.
He also pointed to Türkiye’s pharmaceutical and medical device industry, valued at over $15 billion, and advances in agricultural technologies and food processing as critical to the UAE’s supply chain diversification strategy.
Al-Zahiri said both countries are aligned on renewable energy goals, with the UAE targeting 44% clean energy by 2050 and Türkiye aiming for 65% electricity production from renewables by 2035.
He said the UAE has invested more than $50 billion in global clean energy projects and is actively working with Türkiye on solar, wind, and hydrogen initiatives.
“Potential areas of cooperation include joint solar parks, onshore wind facilities, green hydrogen pilot projects, and climate technology R&D,” he said, noting the UAE brings clean energy leadership while Türkiye contributes engineering and infrastructure expertise.
Al-Zahiri also highlighted bilateral cooperation in agriculture and water technology, pointing to the UAE-developed “Ma Hawa” device that produces drinking water from air.
“We continue discussions with Türkiye’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on this project,” he said.
“These devices can be used both indoors and outdoors and offer innovative solutions for combating climate change and supporting water production in agriculture.”
He said the UAE Embassy in Ankara is actively introducing the technology to relevant Turkish authorities and believes it will unlock new opportunities for sustainable farming and water access.
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