A Saudi source unveiled the intention of the Al Saud authorities to import Israeli goods soon, to replace the Turkish goods that the Saud family had officially boycotted.
A prominent Saudi merchant said that the Al Saud authorities threatened merchants with financial fines and imprisonment over dealing with Turkish goods.
The Saudi merchant revealed to “Saudi Leaks” about a meeting held the past few days with an official in the Saudi Ministry of Trade and Investment to discuss alternatives for Turkish goods.
He said that the Saudi official informed them that Israeli goods would be alternative to Turkish and that they would be imported from the Emirates, which signed a political and economic normalization agreement with Israel during this September.
The merchant said that a meeting would be held between Saudi merchants and the Ministry of Economy in the coming days to discuss trade issues and import Israeli goods through UAE ports and airports.
The Al Saud authorities intend to announce, within days, an official ban on Turkish products, or “everything that bears a mark made in Turkey,” against the backdrop of political tensions between the two countries.
This step comes two years after the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on October 2, 2018, inside his country’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
Gumhuriyet newspaper quoted sources saying that the Al Saud authorities will prevent the entry of Turkish goods into their territories, starting from the beginning of next month.
The newspaper suggested that the possible official ban, which comes two years after an unofficial ban by Saudi Arabia of Turkish goods, will harm the interests of thousands of exporters.
According to the Turkish writer Ayoub Saghjan, Al Saud authorities have been summoning officials of Saudi and non-Saudi shipping companies and importers for some time to inform them that importing from Turkey has become a forbidden matter.
Saghjan explained that “Saudi Arabia has refused to import Turkish goods and everything made in Turkey for a long time.” He notes that “the new directives from the Saudi authorities to traders, importers and shipping companies confirm that the ban on import from Turkey will soon become complete.”
Saghjan added, “Saudi Arabia has not yet dared to issue an official announcement in this regard.”
The Turkish writer emphasized that this decision will not harm Turkey to the extent that will break the Saudis themselves, especially the merchants of them, as the Saudis import many of their daily needs from Turkey at much lower prices from other countries.
“Yes, what the Saudis import from Turkey can be imported from other countries, but with lower quality and higher prices, and thus Mohammed bin Salman is once again causing harm to the Saudi people … The crown prince does not think that he harms Turkey with such childish, childish decisions,” he added.
“Prices in Saudi Arabia will rise for the average consumer as a result of this decision, meaning that Mohammed bin Salman is working against the Saudi people, not against Turkey,” he added.
He pointed out that “the damage that will be caused to Saudi Arabia as a result of this decision will not be limited to the economy, but will also reach politics. The Islamic world has become aware of those who behave childishly and know the major Islamic countries that have their respect, such as Turkey.”
Saghjan concluded, asking, “Does Mohammed bin Salman, through his policies that support the UAE, the Israeli occupation and the West, think that he will harm Turkey ?! If he thinks so, then he is just a child in politics who will destroy Saudi Arabia with his rash decisions.