Rising Middle Eastern investment in Türkiye’s FDI landscape

A relatively new factor in Türkiye’s foreign direct investment (FDI) landscape is the increasing capital inflow from the Middle East. Over the past two decades, especially following President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s rise to power, Türkiye has deepened its engagement with the region. This involvement extends beyond politics and humanitarian efforts—such as its role in the Syrian Civil War—to encompass strong economic relations.

As highlighted in the Türkiye International Direct Investment Strategy Report, published last month by the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye Investment Office, Türkiye significantly increased its share of regional manufacturing investments between 2014 and 2023. Compared to the previous decade, the country quadrupled its share, attracting 22% of manufacturing investments directed toward the region.

Additionally, over the past 20 years, Türkiye has drawn 8.3% of mergers and acquisitions in the region based on project numbers. Furthermore, in terms of greenfield investments, Türkiye increased its share and became one of the top three destinations for such investments in the region between 2014 and 2023.¹

As a result, FDI from the Middle East into Türkiye has surged, with Gulf countries playing a leading role.

Strengthening economic ties with the Gulf

The main driver behind Türkiye’s efforts to strengthen ties with Gulf states is to attract foreign capital and enhance economic stability. Trade between Türkiye and the Gulf, which had slowed between 2013 and 2020 due to political tensions, has since rebounded to $22 billion. Türkiye now aims to nearly triple this figure within the next five years.²

One recent example of this growing investment is the Mubadala Investment Company's acquisition of Getir. In 2024, the Abu Dhabi-based sovereign wealth fund took full ownership of Türkiye’s leading rapid grocery delivery platform.³ Mubadala had already invested $250 million into Getir in June 2024, securing a controlling stake. This deal was part of a broader restructuring, which refocused Getir’s operations on Türkiye following its withdrawal from several foreign markets.

Previously, Getir’s ownership was divided among multiple investors. However, after the restructuring, Mubadala became the dominant shareholder in its Turkish operations.

Mubadala’s investment signals the Gulf’s growing interest in Türkiye’s tech and e-commerce sector, reinforcing the deepening economic partnership between Türkiye and the Middle East.

Currently, over 1.4 million Turkish companies and over 800,000Turkish business people and directors are listed on ClarifiedBy.

Dr. Agah Hazir, Diligencia’s senior business analyst covering Türkiye, helps our clients with tailored corporate intelligence including compiling comprehensive due diligence and credit reports on entities based in the country.

If your company seeks to explore opportunities in this thriving market, contact us today for access to comprehensive corporate records and due diligence reports.

Diligencia helps customers from around the world to find essential information on organisations registered in Africa and the wider Middle East, drawing on primary sources that are otherwise hard to find. Using our curated data, we enable our clients to effectively manage their compliance obligations, allowing them to continuously monitor their suppliers and counterparty risks in the MEA region.

Footnotes:

1.  https://www.invest.gov.tr/tr/library/publications/Documents/turkiye-uluslararasi-dogrudan-yatirim-stratejisi-2024-2028.pdf  
2.  https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/turkeysource/whats-behind-growing-ties-between-turkey-and-the-gulf-states/  
3. https://www.rekabet.gov.tr/tr/SonKurulKarari/59f49585-077c-ef11-93d1-0050568585c9
4. A very recent development on February 2026 is that Uber agreed to acquire the food delivery arm of Getir from Mubadala Investment Company, expanding its presence in Turkey. Uber will pay $335 million in cash to fully acquire Getir’s food delivery business and will also invest $100 million for a 15% stake in Getir’s broader delivery services (food, grocery, retail, and water).