ALBAWABA - Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Istanbul on Saturday accompanied by a high-profile delegation including, Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. This visit is accounted for being the first visit by an Emirati official to Istanbul since 2012.
On Saturday, President Bin Zayed arrived in Istanbul to watch the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City, owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Inter Milan.
Sheikh Bin Zayed was welcomed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Both presidents are expected to hold talks with a focus on strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries and enhancing economic cooperation to support stability in the region.
Tension rose between the two countries from 2017 till 2021 when Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, then Abu Dhabi crown prince, visited Istanbul in November 2021, where a $10 billion worth of investments between the two nations was revealed.
The Emirati delegation included Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court; Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Special Affairs Advisor at the Presidential Court; Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Adviser to the UAE President; Ali Mohammed Hammad Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for National Security; and HE Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology.