Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Tuesday, marking the first stop of his regional tour, according to Türkiye’s Communications Director Burhanettin Duran.

Erdogan is in Saudi Arabia on an official visit, accompanied by his wife, First Lady Emine Erdogan, as well as Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek, Defense Minister Yasar Guler and other senior officials.

No further details were released about the closed-door meeting.

Following the talks, bin Salman hosted a closed-door dinner in honor of the Turkish president at the Yemame Palace. Earlier in the day, Erdogan was welcomed by the crown prince during an official reception.

The Riyadh visit is the first leg of Erdogan’s tour of regional countries.

He is scheduled to travel to Cairo on Wednesday at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to co-chair the second meeting of the Türkiye-Egypt High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.

During his visit to Egypt, Erdogan and Sisi are expected to discuss bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international developments, with a particular focus on the situation in Palestine, Duran said.

The Turkish president is also set to attend a Türkiye-Egypt Business Forum in Cairo.

The cabinet of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has approved a report on the spending of the national development budget, following deliberations at its 14th meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund.

According to a statement issued by the Arg on Tuesday, the cabinet endorsed the development budget expenditure report and instructed relevant ministries and departments to ensure that allocated funds are spent on planned projects in a timely manner and in line with approved development plans.

The meeting also reviewed a range of key economic, social and cultural issues. Cabinet members emphasized the need for proper implementation of development activities and adherence to established timelines.

In addition, discussions were held on challenges facing refugees, with relevant authorities directed to identify and implement appropriate solutions to address their concerns.