Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah will visit Türkiye on Tuesday, his first official visit since assuming the post in December 2023. Al Sabah’s visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of relations between Ankara and the Gulf country. It is also the emir's first visit outside Arab states.
The two countries already enjoy good ties and aim to reinforce their relations with the emir’s visit, the first by a Kuwaiti leader in seven years.
Türkiye and Kuwait have multidimensional cooperation mechanisms in commerce, the defense industry, tourism and investment, and they share views of peace and stability on regional matters. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is scheduled to meet Al Sabah in the capital, Ankara, acknowledged the desire to deepen the cooperation between the two countries.
Along with bilateral relations, the situation in Gaza, particularly Israel’s attacks on the Palestinian enclave, will be discussed during the emir’s visit. Kuwait and Türkiye also adopt a common stance on the matter. Türkiye is a staunch advocate of the Palestinian cause and exerts diplomatic efforts for immediate cease-fire and access to humanitarian aid for millions of Palestinians besieged by Israel. Ankara also repeatedly called upon for legal consequences for the Netanyahu administration’s “war crimes” targeting Palestinians.
Kuwaiti and Turkish officials are expected to sign a series of cooperation deals during the emir’s visit.
Turkish-Kuwaiti relations gained momentum in the 1980s after signing agreements on cooperation in industry and investment incentives. In 2013, the Turkish-Kuwaiti Cooperation Committee held its first meeting, and the two sides signed another 62 deals. Trade volume between the two countries reached about $700 million (TL 22,592 million) in 2023. Türkiye hosts more than 400 Kuwaiti companies, while Kuwait hosts some 50 Turkish companies. Turkish companies in Kuwait are concentrated in the construction sector and are behind some 50 projects, including constructing a new international airport. The value of Turkish construction projects in Kuwait reached some $9.2 billion, while Kuwaiti direct investment in Türkiye reached the value of $2 billion.
Kuwait seeks more contributions from Turkish companies as part of its 2035 vision to reduce its dependency on oil revenues.
Türkiye is also a popular destination for Kuwaiti citizens in tourism, real estate investments and health tourism. In proportion to its population, Kuwait has the highest number of citizens visiting Türkiye as tourists, and Kuwaiti citizens often make it to the top 10 countries whose citizens purchase properties in Türkiye. In 2023, Türkiye hosted about 400,000 Kuwaiti tourists.
