A Strategic Reset: Revival of Saudi-Turkey Comprehensive Partnership

Saudi Arabia and Turkey—often viewed as the economic and military pillars of the Muslim world—are moving toward a renewed strategic convergence after years of tensions. Shifting regional dynamics, Israel’s genocidal campaign, and a recalibrating US role in the Middle East have pushed both states to reset their partnership, signaling a broader geopolitical realignment.

Saudi Arabia has always been a close ally of Washington, and Turkey is a prominent member of NATO. The two nations have been competing over their influence in the Middle East for decades, and this has, at times, led to an aggressive attitude towards one another. Saudi Arabia was on the brink of recognizing Israel before the full-scale invasion of Gaza, while Turkey was drifting away from it due to conflicting regional objectives.

Turkey’s highly vocal stance in support of Palestine and its evolving defense industrial base have always irritated Israel, whose sole aim is to neutralize any military prowess of Muslim states in the region. However, due to recent changes in Middle Eastern politics, including Israel’s extremely offensive behavior and major powers’ fluctuating interests, both Saudi Arabia and Turkey are recalibrating their traditional foreign policy approach. A kind of resetting is clearly apparent in the region, with both the economic and military wings of the Muslim world coming together with a broader regional agenda on the table.

Historical Perspective

Having established diplomatic relations through a ‘Friendship Treaty’ in 1929, both Turkey and Saudi Arabia have been playing a vital part in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Both countries have also established a Joint Economic Commission (JEC) to bolster economic ties in different avenues. The trade volume between the two in 2024 reached 8 billion US dollars. In addition to the diplomatic and financial bromance, both countries have also developed a defense partnership, with Turkish ASELSAN and KSA’s SADEC defense firms collaborating in different sectors.

However, the relations between the two went downhill in 2018 due to the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey. Resultantly, mistrust increased between the two states, and they questioned each other’s political standing. Trade boycotts were observed on various goods and services, which further exacerbated the situation. Thus, the Saudi-Turkish bilateral relations fell prey to distrust and rivalry.

A high-level visit to Saudi Arabia by Turkish President Erdoğan at the start of this month seems like the start of a new phase in Saudi-Turkish relations. It was an extraordinarily significant visit, as it not only contributed to restoring the links between the two states but also showcased renewed focus on economic and security ties in the Middle East during a period of utter uncertainty. This visit had a single significant goal: to sign a free trade agreement between Turkey and the GCC countries. The two-way meeting resulted in a number of major agreements. Saudi Arabia will spend $2 billion on building two solar farms in Turkey that will have 2000 MW capacity. Officials from both sides stated that they aimed to achieve $10 billion in bilateral trade by 2026 and $30 billion over the long term. Besides economic transactions, the two states also responded positively to defense partnerships. Right after the visit to Riyadh, Erdoğan declared that Saudi Arabia would co-invest in the Turkish fighter jet program, KAAN.

Saudi-Turkey Strategic Convergence

Turkey and Saudi Arabia reviving their relationship is not something that occurred overnight, but a sequence of events and changing regional realities has pushed them towards establishing a cooperative alliance. As a Eurasian state and a member of NATO, Turkey has been continually attempting to uphold its economic weight within the region. Saudi Arabia, under Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, has been pursuing an inward policy approach, rooted in Vision 2030, to revitalize the oil-depleting economy of the state. However, the recent geopolitical situation has compelled them to converge their economic plans with each other.

The revival of President Trump and his conservative policies has altered the global situation. And the Middle East is no exception. The Trump 2.0 administration has bluntly declared the Middle East as an important but low-priority region for the US. This resulted in a very chaotic situation, where every state in the Middle East is running for its security and survival to fill the lacuna created by the US. This is exactly why Turkey and Saudi Arabia are now diversifying their regional partnerships.

They also take a similar stance on the Palestine issue and are both critical of Israel because of the current genocidal campaign. On the same note, in Yemen, they both are in favor of the internationally accepted government, struggling for a unified neighborhood. In Sudan, both are opposing violent non-state actors: actors who are currently responsible for ruining regional peace and security. In addition, both countries are formally supporting the legitimate government of Somalia and have denounced the recognition of Israel by Somaliland, a separatist faction of Somalia. Thus, a natural convergence has emerged between the two vital players of the Middle East.

Islamic NATO in the Making

Debates in policy circles around the world have started after various powerful Muslim countries have signed pacts with each other. The predecessor to every emerging Muslim grouping in the Middle East, whether it is in Egypt, Turkey, Somalia, etc., is the defense pact between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed in September 2025. This pact has provided the actual impetus to other regional buildups. The Pakistan-Saudi defense pact is grounded on reciprocal security guarantees mirroring NATO Article 5, stating, An attack on one would be considered an attack on the other.

Although there is no direct mention of any nuclear exchange between the two, Saudi Arabia might use this ambiguity to deter Iranian influence and Israel’s offense in the region. There is a possibility of the formation of a loose trilateral grouping comprising Pakistan’s nuclear shield, Turkey’s defense production, and Saudi Arabia’s economic might. Pakistan’s Federal Defense Production Minister, Raza Hayat Harraj, told Reuters that talks between the three countries had been ongoing for roughly a year.

A Saudi-Turkish strategic coordination would benefit both states by helping revitalize their economies (with a much less confrontational stance), reducing the chances of any misconceptions. It would also set a precedent for the entire Muslim world to follow suit. Moreover, there is a possibility that Israel might be deterred from any foreseeable offensive aims in the region.

This coordination also means that Saudi Arabia would get an alternative defense partner to the US, although this is not the priority in the short term. Additionally, both states could potentially collaborate on peace-making efforts in Gaza, as both are part of Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’, however, the effectiveness of that collaboration remains to be seen.

The Saudi-Turkish bilateral partnership can be considered a reminder for the entire Muslim world that their security and prosperity depend on strategic convergence with each other. The revival of a partnership between the two Muslim states is potentially a result of Israel’s extremely offensive behavior and the US’s inward foreign policy approach. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, a mistake has been made by the West, in particular by the US and Israel, which has compelled the Muslim states to revive their past position of eminence. Whether an Islamic NATO would be formed or not remains a million-dollar question, but the rapidly changing global order might just reshape the entire Muslim world.

Aleena Im is an independent researcher and writer and is interested in international relations and current affairs

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