Turkey’s efforts to increase bilateral trade with Middle Eastern countries, one of its traditional markets, are bearing fruit. In this sense, the export performance especially to the UAE and Saudi Arabia draws attention.
Signing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Turkey and the UAE and making contacts to strengthen trade relations between the two countries by visiting Saudi Arabia in March were important steps taken to increase foreign sales to these countries.
According to the information compiled from the data of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), Turkey’s exports to the UAE increased by 262 million 722 thousand dollars in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period of the previous year and reached 1 billion 23 million dollars.
Exports to Saudi Arabia increased by 541 million 906 thousand dollars to 611 million 816 thousand dollars.
Saudi Arabia became the second country in which Turkey increased its foreign sales the most in terms of value, while the UAE became the fourth country.
The UAE was recorded as the 13th country to which Turkey exports the most, and Saudi Arabia as the 21st country.
The UAE’s share in Turkey’s total exports was 1.7 percent, and Saudi Arabia’s 1%.
Jewelery in UAE, carpet industry in Saudi Arabia
In the first quarter, the highest demand for the jewelery sector came from the UAE, and the highest demand for the carpet sector came from Saudi Arabia.
The jewelry industry exported 371 million 640 thousand dollars to the UAE in the first quarter. The jewelery industry was followed by chemicals and products with 71 million 115 thousand dollars, ready-made clothing and apparel with 50 million 101 thousand dollars, electricity and electronics with 49 million 671 thousand dollars, aquaculture and animal products with 49 million 460 thousand dollars.
The carpet industry sold 85 million 479 thousand dollars to Saudi Arabia in the first quarter. Cereals, pulses, oil seeds and products exported to Saudi Arabia amounted to 65 million 142 thousand dollars, ready-made clothing and apparels 58 million 747 thousand dollars, chemicals and products 57 million 293 thousand dollars, electricity and electronics sector 44 million 742 thousand dollars. .
The most exports to countries were made from Istanbul.
Companies from Istanbul made the most exports to the UAE and Saudi Arabia in the first quarter.
In the said period, companies from Istanbul realized 634 million 530 thousand dollars of foreign sales to the UAE and 260 million 227 thousand dollars to Saudi Arabia.
Exports to the UAE amounted to 103 million 730 thousand dollars from Çorum, 42 million 30 thousand dollars from İzmir, 34 million 209 thousand dollars from Bursa and 33 million 53 thousand dollars from Gaziantep.
On the other hand, foreign sales to Saudi Arabia amounted to 93 million 680 thousand dollars from Gaziantep, 41 million 124 thousand dollars from Ankara, 31 million 610 thousand dollars from Hatay and 22 million 415 thousand dollars from Bursa.
