Relationship dossier
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Relationship assessment
Growing economic engagement coexists with disagreement over Kosovo’s status
Saudi Arabia toward Serbia
+5Saudi Arabia has engaged Serbia through bilateral diplomatic and economic initiatives, including agreements announced during the Serbian president’s 2023 visit. Saudi Arabia’s recognition of Kosovo, however, runs counter to Serbia’s position on Kosovo’s status.
Serbia toward Saudi Arabia
+20Serbia has pursued economic and diplomatic cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including through agreements announced during President Vučić’s 2023 visit. Serbia’s position on Kosovo differs from Saudi Arabia’s recognition of Kosovo.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship combines growing bilateral economic engagement with a persistent disagreement over Kosovo. The announced agreements indicate an effort to deepen cooperation, but their scope and implementation remain 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
Saudi Arabia and Serbia have expanded diplomatic and economic engagement, including agreements announced during Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s 2023 visit to Saudi Arabia. A significant disagreement concerns Saudi Arabia’s recognition of Kosovo, which conflicts with Serbia’s position on Kosovo’s status. The scope and implementation of newer cooperation are unclear.
Areas of tension
- Saudi Arabia’s recognition of Kosovo conflicts with Serbia’s position on Kosovo’s status.
Key developments
Agreements on bilateral cooperation were announced during Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s visit to Saudi Arabia.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of agreements announced during the 2023 visit are unclear.
- The practical effects of Saudi Arabia’s recognition of Kosovo on bilateral cooperation are uncertain.