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Relationship dossier

Kenya Saudi Arabia

Relationship assessment

Practical cooperation on labor migration and development financing, alongside concerns about migrant-worker protections.

Kenya toward Saudi Arabia

+25

Kenya has cooperated with Saudi Arabia on labor migration, including through a bilateral labor agreement governing the employment of Kenyan workers in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia toward Kenya

+25

Saudi Arabia has provided development financing for projects in Kenya and cooperated with the Kenyan government on labor migration through a bilateral labor agreement.

Overall relationship

+25

The relationship is characterized by practical cooperation on labor migration and Saudi-backed development financing, with migrant-worker protections an important source of concern. The known areas of cooperation support a generally constructive but limited assessment.

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

Knowledge coverageLimited

Overview

Kenya and Saudi Arabia have pursued practical cooperation, particularly on labor migration and development financing. A bilateral labor agreement provides a framework for Kenyan workers in Saudi Arabia, while Saudi development financing has supported projects in Kenya. The relationship includes substantial labor-migration concerns, especially around the treatment and recruitment of Kenyan workers.

Areas of tension

Key developments

Major uncertainties

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