Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey (ISPAT) Gulf States Representative M. Mustafa Göksu said on Friday that Arab investors have expressed extensive interest in participating in the Gulf Countries Agriculture and Livestock Business Forum to be held in Turkey's Konya and Niğde.

Göksu said they will familiarize Arab investors with investment opportunities in Turkey and introduce them to domestic firms at the forum, which will be held under the leadership of ISPAT in cooperation with the Mevlana Development Agency and the Ahiler Development Agency from March 20-24.

Underscoring that interest in the forum was well above their expectations, Göksu said they received more than 300 applications from Gulf countries and in the face of such an intense demand, plan to organize a second forum.

"With these activities, we aim to introduce investors from Gulf countries to domestic investors and present the opportunities Turkey has to offer to foreign investors. Our goal is also to bring Arab investors together with those who do the same work, for them to establish partnerships and enable them to carry these partnerships to other countries," Göksu said.

Göksü said that last year they hosted very productive programs in Diyarbakır and Şanlıurfa for 50 businessmen from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain who participated in the eighth Middle East Agriculture, Livestock, Poultry and Dairy Industry Fair. He added that they will hold the forum parallel to the 16th International Agriculture, Agricultural Mechanization and Field Technologies Fair being held in the TÜYAP Konya International Fair Center and expressed their satisfaction with the high interest.

Arab investors, who met with Turkey and made connections with local companies, continue to closely follow the domestic market, Göksu said, informing that around 150 investors from Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, as well as Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Sudan and Palestine will attend the forum.