A high-ranking Turkish official revealed that Saudi Arabia ranks first in real estate and tourism investment with approximately $5 billion, while the UAE ranks second in terms of investments in the province of Trabzon, with the value of UAE investments exceeding two billion U.S. dollars, while Qatar ranks third, followed by Kuwait.
Yugal Yavuz, Governor of Trabzon, explained in a meeting with a Gulf and Arab media delegation that his country’s relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are witnessing significant developments in the areas of economic and investment cooperation, noting that his country welcomes tourism investments from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to take advantage of the significant benefits the Turkish government offers to its Gulf and Arab brothers.
Mr. Yugal Yavuz invited Arab tourists to visit Trabzon, which he described as the "Pearl of the Black Sea," and to take advantage of this summer’s special offers and benefits, and to invest there, emphasizing that the stability of any country benefits both its citizens and foreign investments within it.
He emphasized that Turkish laws allow Arab investors to enjoy the same privileges as Turkish citizens, and that there are no obstacles preventing the success of Arab investments in Turkey, noting that Turkish laws grant foreign and Arab investors the land necessary for their projects.He said that approximately 500,000 Gulf tourists visit the province of Trabzon each year, with each tourist spending an average of about $3,000, which strengthens tourism, aviation, and hotel companies—especially since Gulf companies have an active presence in this region.
He said that we are pleased with the expansion of air transport networks. Services have begun offering low-cost flights from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, and Lebanon to the city of “Trabzon” without stopping at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport, in order to increase the flow of tourists directly to eastern and northern Turkey at lower costs. The number of these budget flights is scheduled to increase to approximately 370 flights during 2016.
