Istanbul: The Turkish Ministry of Trade has secured 15-day visas for all drivers engaged in international cross-border trucking inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to meet the needs in the Gulf region, Minister Omer Bolat said Tuesday. Delivering remarks during an event in Istanbul on the heels of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Bolat explained that this decision had been taken following extensive engagements with the Saudi side.
According to Qatar News Agency, access to all Gulf nations would be possible within three to four days, with Turkiye witnessing an increase in applications from the Arab Gulf region and world countries. New requests are emerging from Turkish exporters. Bolat recalled that under the transit transport agreement signed with Syria in August, Turkish trucks would arrive in Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and all Gulf nations.
This development is expected to expedite the volume of mutual trade among countries in the region, Bolat underscored. He further clarified that Turkiye's exports to the Gulf countries had declined in March 2026 by 36.5% compared to the same month in 2025, attributing this to the tensions in the region.