The General Authority for Foreign Trade (GAFT), represented by Deputy Governor of International Organizations and Agreements Fareed Alasaly, led the Saudi negotiating team in the first round of free trade agreement negotiations between the GCC countries and Türkiye. The negotiations took place in Ankara from July 29 to 31, 2024, with participation from nine Saudi government agencies. The Saudi negotiating team oversees and monitors the trade negotiations to ensure they align with the Kingdom's trade objectives and policies. They participate actively to incorporate the Kingdom's negotiating positions and coordinate with countries that have similar international trade trends. The Saudi negotiating team is composed of eight technical teams covering goods, services, investment, general texts and provisions, electronic commerce, intellectual property, government procurement, and rules of origin. These teams, working alongside 45 governmental entities, prepare and coordinate the Kingdom's negotiations, initiatives, and proposals at the World Trade Organization and in free trade agreements, reporting back to the Saudi negotiating group. In 2023, trade between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye amounted to approximately $7 billion. The most prominent Saudi exports included plastics, manufactured goods, and metal products, while key imports from Türkiye included machinery, machine tools, parts, and carpets.
