Relationship dossier
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Relationship assessment
Durable energy cooperation alongside differences over regional and international issues
Russia toward Saudi Arabia
+40Russia has coordinated oil-production policy with Saudi Arabia through OPEC and OPEC+, including joint production adjustments. Russian leaders have also pursued high-level engagement and energy and investment cooperation with the Saudi government.
Saudi Arabia toward Russia
+40Saudi Arabia has coordinated oil-production policy with Russia through OPEC and OPEC+, including joint production adjustments. The Saudi government has maintained high-level engagement and pursued energy and investment cooperation with Russia, while retaining an independent position on the war in Ukraine.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship is anchored by sustained coordination on oil production and expanded high-level economic engagement. Cooperation has endured despite occasional disputes over production policy and differences on Syria and Ukraine, making the bilateral structure substantially cooperative but not a close strategic alignment.
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
Russia and Saudi Arabia have developed substantial cooperation on oil production through OPEC+, alongside high-level visits and broader energy and investment engagement. Their interests have diverged over issues including the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Syria, but these differences have not displaced the durable energy relationship.
Areas of tension
- Different positions and interests concerning the war in Syria.
- Saudi Arabia has not aligned its policy on the war in Ukraine with Russia's position.
- Disagreements over oil-production levels have periodically strained OPEC+ coordination.
Key developments
Russia and Saudi Arabia began coordinating oil-production policy with other producers through the OPEC+ framework.
King Salman made the first visit to Russia by a reigning Saudi monarch, with agreements signed to expand bilateral cooperation.
Russia and Saudi Arabia coordinated a major OPEC+ production cut in response to the oil-market shock.
Saudi Arabia hosted an international meeting on Ukraine, pursuing diplomatic engagement while Russia was not a participant.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral investment and defense arrangements are unclear.
- The extent to which energy coordination will persist through future market or geopolitical disagreements is uncertain.