Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Deepen Military Dialogue
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia held a high-level military dialogue meeting in Riyadh on Thursday, marking another step in strengthening defence ties between the two key regional partners. The talks, attended by the highest military leadership of both countries, concluded with the signing of a joint report and a public affirmation of ongoing cooperation in security and defence.
Türkiye’s Chief of General Staff, General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, met with Saudi Arabia’s Chief of General Staff, General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, in sessions that included both bilateral discussions and expanded delegations from each country’s defence establishment. The meeting was hosted with full military honours and underscored a renewed commitment to institutional dialogue and practical cooperation.
Officials described the talks as constructive and forward-looking, focusing on strategic coordination, defence planning, and shared regional security priorities. While formal details of specific agreements from the dialogue have not been fully disclosed, both sides pledged to pursue deeper military ties and enhanced cooperation mechanisms in the months ahead.
Growing Türkiye–Saudi Defence Cooperation
The Riyadh meeting comes amid a broader backdrop of expanding military and industrial collaboration between Türkiye and Saudi Arabia. Over recent years, the two countries have incrementally strengthened their defence relationship through high-level visits, industrial partnerships, and bilateral memoranda of understanding across multiple security sectors.
In July 2023, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia signed a series of cooperation agreements that included an implementation plan between their defence ministries and a defence cooperation agreement between Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence and Türkiye’s Baykar, focusing on drone technology and defence industry collaboration.
Saudi Arabia’s state-owned defence conglomerate, Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), has also entered into agreements with leading Turkish companies such as Nurol Makina, FNSS and ASELSAN to localise production of tactical military vehicles, armour systems and advanced turrets within the Kingdom. These cooperation efforts align with Riyadh’s Vision 2030 goals, which prioritise technology transfer and indigenous defence manufacturing.
Broader cooperation additionally encompasses unmanned aerial systems, with Turkish companies supporting Saudi Arabia in developing local drone production, training capacities, and system integration. The partnerships are viewed as strategically important as Riyadh seeks to diversify defence suppliers and scale up domestic capability.
Context and Strategic Implications
The renewed dialogue reflects a shift toward closer military engagement between Ankara and Riyadh following a period of diplomatic normalisation and expanding economic ties since the early 2020s. Analysts note that strengthening defence cooperation serves both nations’ long-term strategic objectives and reinforces their influence in a region marked by persistent volatility.
Saudi Arabia’s defence spending remains among the highest globally, with recent estimates placing its annual military expenditure above 78 billion dollars. This substantial budget underpins long-term modernisation programmes and partnerships designed to enhance national security and regional deterrence.
For Ankara, deeper ties with Saudi Arabia support a broader approach to diversified regional security cooperation while reinforcing Türkiye’s role as a key actor in shaping stability and defence structures across the wider Middle East.