Relationship dossier
Djibouti
Saudi Arabia
Relationship assessment
Strategic cooperation focused on Red Sea security and regional alignment
Djibouti toward Saudi Arabia
+35Djibouti joined the Saudi-led Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition and severed diplomatic relations with Iran in 2016, aligning with Saudi Arabia during a regional dispute. Djibouti also concluded a military cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia toward Djibouti
+35Saudi Arabia concluded a military cooperation agreement with Djibouti that included plans for a Saudi military presence there, reflecting cooperation on Red Sea security. The agreement's implementation is unclear.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship has a strategic security dimension, including a bilateral military cooperation agreement and Djibouti's alignment with Saudi Arabia during the 2016 dispute with Iran. The breadth and implementation of practical cooperation beyond these developments are unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Djibouti and Saudi Arabia have pursued strategic cooperation around Red Sea security. Djibouti joined the Saudi-led Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition and severed diplomatic relations with Iran in 2016, aligning with Saudi Arabia during a regional dispute. The two governments also concluded a military cooperation agreement that included plans for a Saudi military presence in Djibouti.
Key developments
Djibouti severed diplomatic relations with Iran during the regional dispute involving Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia and Djibouti concluded a military cooperation agreement that included plans for a Saudi military presence in Djibouti.
Djibouti joined the Saudi-led Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition.
Major uncertainties
- The extent to which the military cooperation agreement and planned Saudi military presence were implemented is unclear.
- The scope and continuity of other bilateral security and economic cooperation are unclear.