Mohammed bin Salman

Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler will on June 22 take another step towards breaking his international isolation by paying his first visit to Türkiye since the murder in 2018 of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate.

Saudi Arabia on June 20 lifted a ban on citizens travelling to Türkiye and three other countries, state media reported, as the kingdom continues to relax coronavirus prevention measures.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman begins a regional tour today in Egypt that will also take him to Türkiye to bolster regional ties, a Saudi diplomat said.

After Cairo, Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, will travel to Jordan and then on to Türkiye, the diplomat said.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit Türkiye on June 22, a senior Turkish official told AFP on June 17, as Ankara and Riyadh move on from the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

President Joe Biden is leaning towards making a visit to Saudi Arabia, a trip that would likely bring him face-to-face with the Saudi crown prince he once shunned as a killer.

Saudi Arabia's ageing King Salman has been admitted to hospital for unspecified tests, state media reported Sunday.

The kingdom has generally sought to quell speculation over the health of the 86-year-old monarch, who has ruled the top oil exporter and the Arab world's biggest economy since 2015.

Saudi Airlines is expected to resume its flights to Istanbul this week after two years of hiatus.

The first scheduled flight will be held from Riyadh and Jeddah to Istanbul Airport on May 7. Moreover, on May 11, the carrier will launch its flights from Medina to Istanbul Airport.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan traveled to Saudi Arabia on April 28 to mend a rift between the countries caused by the murder of Riyadh critic Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate in 2018.

The two-day trip comes as Ankara and Riyadh have, in recent months, attempted to repair some diplomatic damage after a decade of tension.

Saudi Arabia has asked Disney to cut "LGBTQ references" from its latest Marvel superhero movie before it can be screened in the kingdom, an official told AFP on April 25.

Turkey's attempts to normalize ties with foes will gain momentum through important visits and meetings with Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the Turkish Foreign Minister has reportedly told ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmakers.