Turkish president in UAE on last leg of 3-nation Gulf tour

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday arrived in the UAE for the last leg of his three-nation Gulf tour to strengthen regional ties.

On Wednesday, President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will welcome Erdogan with an official ceremony in the capital Abu Dhabi.

The leaders are set to hold one-on-one talks. Later in the day, Erdogan will also attend a state banquet held in his honor.

During the talks, all aspects of bilateral relations will be reviewed, and steps to enhance cooperation in various areas, particularly the economy, will be discussed.

Turkey and the UAE are also expected to sign several agreements.

Erdogan started his three-nation Gulf tour on Monday with Saudi Arabia, followed by Qatar.

During his visits to the three Gulf countries, Erdogan said he wanted to boost ties and finalize investment deals.

At a news conference in Istanbul before starting his tour, Erdogan said that Turkey's relations with the UAE are developing in every area, adding: "The UAE is the country with whom we recently trade the most in the Gulf region. We want to increase this figure to a level befitting the true potential of our two countries."