RIYADH: Saudi citizens, diplomats and members of the expat community expressed their hope that the current visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif to Turkey will not only boost bilateral relations, but also help maintain security and stability in the region.

Former Shoura Council member and Vice Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce Usamah Al-Kurdi told Arab News that this visit is significant bcause Turkey is an important friendly country in the region. The visit will further help cement ties in several areas of cooperation between the two countries which will further boost the economic relations between Turkey and the Kingdom, Al-Kurdi said.

Al-Kurdi, who is also the president of Alagat, a business-consulting firm based in Riyadh, also hoped the visit would expand into new areas of businesses between the two countries.

Bangladesh Ambassador Golam Moshi described it as a landmark visit, which would strengthen the unity among the Muslim Ummah. “It’s heartening to note that senior officials from the Kingdom have been visiting friendly countries to strengthen bilateral relations and step up efforts for global peace and security where people can live happily.”

"The visit of the crown prince to Turkey is significant. Saudi Arabia and Turkey are important countries and their interaction at a high level and enhanced mutual cooperation in various fields will auger well, not only for the two brotherly countries, but also for the entire region,” Pakistan Ambassador Manzur Ul Haq noted.

Turkish Ambassador Yunus Demirer said that this is the first visit of the crown prince to Turkey after a failed military coup that shook the NATO member state in July this year. The royal visit, according to the Demirer, is significant in view of the close relations between the two countries “on issues like the ongoing wars and strife in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, along with Iran’s role in the region’s conflicts and cooperation in combating terrorism.”

Seyed Hamid Moulana, senior business executive in Riyadh who has been in the Kingdom for nearly four decades said: “Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif’s visit to Turkey, after that country successfully crushed a failed coup attempt to oust a popular government in power, is welcomed by all as a platform to build strong groundwork for strategic cooperation among the Kingdom, Turkey and the Gulf region at large.

We confidently hope that this will also strengthen business relations between the two traditionally friendly countries, and bring new investments to the Kingdom.”

”Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif’s two-day visit to Turkey is very significant. It’s a strong ally,” said Mohsin Shaikh Al-Hassan, Islamic scholar and TV host.

He said that in going there, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif will further boost ties as he greets President Erdogan for his various accomplishments as well as for helping Muslim countries.

Besides, he added, Crown Prince Mohammed “is visiting a very popular president who’s greatly loved and respected by his own people.”

“In fact, President Erdogan has become even more popular, so to speak, than the late President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of Turkey,” he said.

That’s why, he said, “Crown Prince Mohammed’s visit is, to say the least, significant, if not historic.”

Abdullah Al-Melehi, chairman of Al-Rames International Group, added that the visit is “very significant indeed.”

“It’s mutually beneficial for the Kingdom and Turkey. It will pave the way for more Saudi capital infusion in Turkey and vice versa. Right now, quite a number of local entrepreneurs are doing business in Turkey,” he said.

He added that the crown prince also has the opportunity to invite Turkish businessmen to come to the Kingdom for investment. “Such a visit will also ramp up trade relations between the two countries,” said Melehi, also the chairman of the Arab-Sri Lankan Chamber of Commerce.

Scientist-entrepreneur Ibrahim Al-Alim said that Crown Prince Mohammed’s visit to Turkey is a defining moment in the bilateral ties. “Both countries are heavyweights in the region. Their friendly ties will help each other in their quest for a better future for their economies as well as their people,” he said.

He added that if and when the visit bears fruit, it will redound to the benefit of both countries and make them more capable in helping allies in need like what the Kingdom has been doing.

“Besides, the need of the moment is collaboration. No country is an island. It’s incumbent upon the two countries to share expertise and pool resources together to be better positioned in meeting future challenges,” said Al-Alim whose company had planted more than 3,500 plants in the Eastern Province for Saudi Aramco.