RUSSIA-SAUDI ARABIA RELATIONS

History: Between 1891 and 1914, the Russian Empire’s consulate operated in the Ottoman Empire-controlled Jeddah.

The Soviet Union was the first country to recognise the independent Saudi state, the Kingdom of Hejaz, Nejd and joined dominions that was renamed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in 1932. After exchanging notes, the USSR and the Kingdom of Hejaz established diplomatic relations on February 19, 1926. In 1932, KSA Foreign Minister Prince Faisal paid an official visit to the Soviet Union. In 1938, due to the complicated domestic and foreign political situation in the Soviet Union, the Jeddah diplomatic mission was closed and diplomatic relations were de facto discontinued.

In December 1982, Saudi Arabia initiated a communication channel via London that was used to convey messages between Moscow and Riyadh, including at the top level, and information on topical international and regional problems, primarily on the Arab-Israeli settlement.

In view of the deterioration of the military and political situation in the Persian Gulf caused by Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud Al Faisal paid working visits to Moscow in September and November 1990. The parties agreed on full resumption of diplomatic relations and on the re-opening of diplomatic missions (the Soviet Embassy in Riyadh opened in May 1991, the Consulate General in Jeddah since April 1991; the KSA Embassy opened in Moscow in December 1991). On December 30, 1991, Saudi Arabia recognised the Russian Federation as the successor to the Soviet Union.

High-level and top-level contact: In February 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an official visit to Saudi Arabia during which the states signed the Double Taxation Avoidance Convention, and several cooperation agreements in air transport, culture, information exchange and inter-bank collaboration.

Throughout 2013-2015, the political dialogue with the kingdom’s leadership intensified.

President Putin received Bandar bin Sultan, Director General of the Saudi Intelligence Agency and Secretary General of the National Security Council (in July and December, 2013, in Moscow), Foreign Minister Saud Al Faisal (July 2014 in Sochi), successor to Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud (in June 2015 in St Petersburg, in October 2015 in Sochi and in May 2017 in Moscow) with whom he also met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hangzhou, China, in October 2016.

On January 24, 2015, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visited Riyadh to offer his sympathy on the passing of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

In November 2015, during the G20 meeting in Antalya, Turkey, Vladimir Putin held talks with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The leaders of the two countries speak by telephone on a regular basis to discuss key aspects of bilateral relations and items on the regional agenda. They have had nine telephone conversations since April 2015.

The Russian and Saudi Arabian foreign ministers also maintain an intensive dialogue. Sergey Lavrov and Adel al-Jubeir exchange working visits and meet on the sidelines of various international forums, and regularly speak by telephone. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Saudi Arabia in September 2017 where he was received by King Salman and held talks with the KSA Foreign Minister).

Mikhail Bogdanov, Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa, has also visited the Kingdom several times.

Parliamentary contact: Between February 24-27, 2014, the Russian delegation headed by Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Ilyas Umakhanov was in the KSA to participate in the 3^rd G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Consultations in Riyadh. The delegation also met with the Kingdom’s leadership, leaders of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the management of the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah.

On February 24-26, 2016, a delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia headed by Nasser bin Abdulaziz Dawood visited Moscow. Saudi representatives were received in the Federation Council by Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs Konstantin Kosachev and Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Ilyas Umakhanov, and in the Foreign Ministry by Mikhail Bogdanov, Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa.

On April 15-17, 2017, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko visited Saudi Arabia. She was received by King Salman and also met with Consultative Assembly Speaker Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al ash-Sheikh and KSA Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir.

The parliamentary speakers of the two countries regularly exchange messages. In May 2017, Saudi Arabia informed Russia that members of the KSA Consultative Assembly would form an inter-parliamentary friendship group with Russia.

Contact with Russian regions: The Kingdom has been visited by President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov (most recently, in February 2017), Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov and Head of Bashkortostan Rustem Khamitov. In November 2016, Head of Ingushetia Yunus-bek Yevkurov paid a visit to the KSA. During these visits, the heads of the republics met with the King and other representatives of the Saudi leadership.

On October 17, 2014, a delegation of Saudi investors visited the Orel Region led by Wafrat Connection President Abdulaziz Saad Kridis. The visit was a followup to Russian Business Week that took place in early September 2014 in Riyadh and Jeddah.

On May 26-28, 2015, Jeddah hosted the Russian Regions Roadshow fair that involved over a hundred representatives of the Russian business community, government agencies and regional governments, including Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Crimea and the Arkhangelsk Region. Over 20 Russian regions participated in the event.

The Rostov and Chelyabinsk regions have also expressed interest in developing cooperation with Saudi Arabia.

Trade and economic ties, cooperation in science and technology: As of the end of 2016, trade between Russia and the KSA was about half of what it was in 2015 dropping to $491.7 million. However, in the first half of 2017, it increased again by 13 percent and reached $332 million. Saudi Arabia’s share in Russian foreign trade accounted for 0.105 percent (75^th largest partner) as of the end of 2016 against 0.176 percent (66^th largest partner) in 2015. Commodities and agricultural goods, fertiliser, primary rolled metal products prevail in Russia’s exports to the KSA while petrochemicals dominate in Saudi imports to Russia.

The most rapidly developing areas in the countries’ trade and economic cooperation are investment, oil and gas, and agriculture.

In October 2002, the Russia-Saudi Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technology Cooperation was created. The commission has convened four times, including a meeting in Moscow on November 24-26, 2015, that served as the basis for a Russian-Saudi investment forum. The fifth session is scheduled for October and November 2017 in Riyadh.

The co-chairman of the Intergovernmental Commission on the Russian side is Russian Minister of Energy Alexander Novak (since April 2015). Co-chairman on the Saudi side is Minister of Commerce and Investment Majid Al-Qassabi (since November 2016).

Since 2002, the Russian-Saudi Business Council has operated within the Russian-Arab Business Council. Chairman on the Russian side is Vladimir Yevtushenkov. In February 2016, Chairman of the Council of Saudi Chambers Abdulrahman Al Zamil was appointed co-chairman on the Saudi side and the head of the Executive Committee.

The Russian Federation and Saudi Arabia continue to develop cultural ties, including between their Muslim organisations.

In 2002, Russia established its hajj mission (represents the Council for Hajj at the Government Commission on Religious Organisations) to provide assistance to Russian pilgrims. The work is coordinated by the council’s plenipotentiary for hajj, Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Ilyas Umakhanov. The annual quota for Russian pilgrims is 16,400 people.