Saudi-Russian Relations

The Saudi-Russian Relations refer to the diplomatic ties between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Russian Federation. These relations date back to 1926, during the era of the Soviet Union, six years before the unification of the Kingdom in 1932. The foundation of these ties was based on the foreign policy of the Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, which sought to establish relations that served the country's interests and diversified its diplomatic connections with all nations, in line with the Kingdom’s core principles. Russia was the first country to officially recognize the Kingdom in 1926. In 1930, the Soviet consulate in Jeddah was upgraded to an embassy.

Relations between the two countries were suspended eight years after their establishment, specifically in April 1938. Later, reciprocal visits marked a new phase in bilateral relations between both countries. On September 17, 1990, both countries issued a joint statement announcing the resumption of diplomatic relations. The first official Saudi visit to Russia after establishing the Russian Federation was a delegation headed by King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (then Crown Prince) in 2003.

King Faisal Bin Abdulaziz (then Minister of Foreign Affairs) led the first Saudi delegation to visit Russia (during the Soviet Union) in 1932. Over the following years, bilateral relations between the two countries were marked by reciprocal official visits.

During Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s visit to Russia in 2015, several cooperation agreements were signed between the Kingdom and Russia, covering various military fields, the development of an executive program to implement the petroleum cooperation agreement, the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the housing sector, and a joint declaration of intent in the field of space exploration.

The development of bilateral relations in the scientific field continued, yielding benefits for the Kingdom through cooperation between Saudi and Russian scientific institutions. One such achievement occurred in 2014 when King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) announced the successful launch of its thirteenth Saudi satellite, the first of a new generation, named (SaudiSat 4), from the Yasny launch base in Russia.

In 2019, the two countries exchanged twenty agreements and memoranda of understanding between the governments of the Kingdom and the Russian Federation. These included a joint declaration of intent between the Saudi Space Agency and the Russian State Space Corporation to cooperate in the fields of 'manned space missions' and the 'Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).' The Saudi-Russian high-level strategic cooperation framework was exchanged, along with the protocol for cooperation in the energy sector and the draft memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of culture.

The two countries also exchanged a confirmation agreement between Saudi Aramco and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and (Rusnano) for the purchase of Rusnano’s shares in Novomet. They also exchanged an agreement on the methanol project in (Amur) region in Russia and a memorandum of understanding between Ma’aden and (PhosAgro) Company for strategic Russian partnerships in the phosphate fertilizer industry.

The mutual understanding between the Kingdom and the Russian Federation continues to develop into advanced stages, supported by their international partnership within the Group of Twenty (G20), which includes twenty of the world's strongest economies. This partnership has contributed to advancing their relations towards greater cooperation in political, economic, scientific, cultural, and energy sectors.

Economic and investment relations between the Kingdom and Russia were strengthened in 2015 with the establishment of the Saudi-Russian Investment Fund, valued at USD10 billion. The two countries approved more than thirty joint projects with investments exceeding USD2.5 billion across several sectors, including artificial intelligence, medicine, and infrastructure.

The Kingdom and Russia are strategic allies with multiple agreements in various fields, including economy, technology, industry, military, and education.

The Saudi-Russian Joint Committee seeks to develop and enhance cooperation between the Kingdom and the Russian Federation across several vital sectors, including energy, trade, economy, investment, information, communication technologies, industry, health, education, media, culture, sports, tourism, transportation, geology, natural resources, and agriculture.

The Kingdom’s efforts contributed to the historic (OPEC ) agreement between OPEC member states and the Russian Federation, which supports the stability of oil markets by adopting a methodology that aligns production levels with global oil demand. This approach serves both producers and consumers, positively reflecting on global energy price stability and enhancing the pace of bilateral communications between the leadership of both countries in Riyadh and Moscow.

The establishment of the Saudi-Russian Joint Committee and the Saudi-Russian Business Council has contributed to developing relations between the two countries in various fields, diversifying and expanding the base of economic cooperation, and creating a commercial and investment foundation capable of driving trade exchange forward by leveraging the opportunities offered by Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s major projects. In 2023, the total trade volume between the two countries reached SAR12,514,345,134, with non-oil national exports amounting to SAR48,525,652, including aluminum and its products, plastics and their products, various types of common metals, fruits, and organic chemical products. Meanwhile, the value of non-oil imports stood at SAR12,465,819,482, comprising mineral products, grains, meats, offal and edible parts, iron and steel 'steel,' and animal or vegetable fats and oils.

The two countries share strong cultural and educational ties. The Kingdom has pursued cooperation with Russia beyond political and economic collaboration by directing the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program toward renowned Russian universities worldwide. Saudi scholarship students, both male and female, are enrolled in highly specialized scientific and medical disciplines at eighteen Russian universities, including First Moscow State Medical University, Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, Moscow State Pedagogical University, and Lomonosov Moscow State University. They are overseen by the Saudi Cultural Mission, which was established to manage educational and cultural affairs and to supervise Saudi scholarship students studying at educational institutions in the foreign country.

As for cultural activities, in November 1995, the Russian capital, Moscow, witnessed the inauguration of the Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz Department for Islamic Studies at Moscow University. In September 2001, the Kingdom’s pavilion was inaugurated at the Moscow International Book Fair. In March 2002, the Russian State Social University in Moscow hosted a cultural festival titled Saudi Culture Day.

The sport sector also witnessed significant cooperation, as a sport exchange program was signed in Moscow in May 2006 between the General Presidency for Youth Welfare and the Federal Agency for Physical Education and Sport in Russia.

Continuing efforts to strengthen cultural relations, the Ministry of Culture and Media, now the Ministry of Culture, organized Saudi cultural events in Russia in 2007 across three cities: The capital, Moscow, Kazan, and Bolgar in the Republic of Tatarstan, part of the Russian Federation. That same year, the Kingdom awarded the King Faisal Prize to the President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Mintimer Shaimiev, for his efforts in serving Islam.

Further strengthening cultural ties between the two countries, King Fahd Glorious Quran Printing Complex in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah published a new edition of the Russian translation of the meanings of the Holy Quran in 2012, translated by Sheikh Elmir Rafael Kuliev. King Saud University, through its College of Languages and Translation, incorporated the Russian language into its undergraduate programs for modern languages, with courses taught by professors from Russia and Arab countries.

As part of the significance of Saudi-Russian relations, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) launched a new news service on its official website at the end of 2015, broadcasting news about the Kingdom in the Russian language. In 2016, SPA also worked on translating Saudi Vision 2030 into Russian, allowing the Russian audience to read and understand the vision’s key elements and developmental dimensions in their own language.

SPA signed a cooperation agreement with the Russian news agency 'Sputnik' to enhance professional collaboration in the media sector, exchange information, and coordinate joint media events and activities. This agreement was signed during the eighth session of the Saudi-Russian Joint Committee in 2023.

The Kingdom and Russia place high importance on countering extremism and combating terrorism. Both countries are members of an international military and intelligence alliance dedicated to fighting terrorist organizations. The Kingdom’s efforts in maintaining peace in the Middle East and globally have further strengthened its security and military relations with Russia, as the two nations share strong security and military ties.

In 2021, the Russia-Islamic World Forum was held in Jeddah City as part of the strategic vision framework adopted by Russia and supported by the Kingdom. The forum aimed to enhance mutual cooperation in combating extremism and terrorism while strengthening dialogue, security, and stability.