Relationship dossier
Finland
Saudi Arabia
Relationship assessment
Economic cooperation alongside friction over Finnish arms exports
Finland toward Saudi Arabia
-15In 2018, Finland decided to stop issuing new arms export licences to Saudi Arabia, citing the war in Yemen. Finland also participated in bilateral economic cooperation, including an arrangement establishing a joint economic commission.
Saudi Arabia toward Finland
+15Saudi Arabia participated in bilateral economic cooperation with Finland through an arrangement establishing a joint economic commission. The scope and practical outcomes of that cooperation are unclear.
Overall relationship
+10The relationship has a practical economic cooperation framework, including a joint economic commission, but has also been affected by Finland’s decision to halt new arms export licences to Saudi Arabia in 2018 over the Yemen war. These features point to a limited, mixed relationship rather than a close strategic partnership.
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
Finland and Saudi Arabia have pursued economic cooperation, including an agreement establishing a joint economic commission. Relations have also faced friction over Finland’s 2018 decision to stop issuing new arms export licences to Saudi Arabia amid the war in Yemen. The relationship combines practical economic engagement with disagreement over arms exports.
Areas of tension
- Finnish arms export licensing to Saudi Arabia in the context of the war in Yemen
Key developments
Finland and Saudi Arabia agreed to establish a joint economic commission.
Finland decided to stop issuing new arms export licences to Saudi Arabia amid the war in Yemen.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of the joint economic commission’s work are unclear.
- The subsequent extent of Finnish arms export licensing to Saudi Arabia is unclear.