RIYADH: Majid Al-Hogail, Saudi Arabia’s minister of municipal and rural affairs and housing, met Turkish officials and business leaders during his official visit to Turkiye this week, including Istanbul’s governor, Davut Gul.

During their meeting, Al-Hogail and Gul reviewed the relationship between their countries and ways in which it might be enhanced, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

They discussed Istanbul’s experience in balancing efforts to preserve its culture and heritage with the need for urban development in the city, and the challenges it faces. Al-Hogail invited Gul to visit the Kingdom and attend the Cityscape Global real estate exhibition in September.

The Saudi minister then held several meetings in Istanbul municipality with executives from Turkish companies that specialize in urban operations. They reviewed their experiences and expertise in managing issues such as public parking, waste recycling and smart city development, and the methods the companies have devised to improve the operation of public utilities, the main problems they have encountered, and the solutions they have developed in light of the challenges facing urban developers in Istanbul.

Al-Hogail told them the Kingdom offers many promising investment opportunities in a qualitative environment that attracts investment in a variety of economic and development sectors across the Kingdom, including the municipal and housing sectors.

He added that he looks forward to strengthening cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, particularly in the fields of real estate development, infrastructure projects and smart cities.