Relationship dossier
Saudi Arabia
Sri Lanka
Relationship assessment
Labor cooperation and development financing, alongside tensions over migrant-worker treatment
Saudi Arabia toward Sri Lanka
+10Saudi Arabia cooperated with Sri Lanka on migrant labor through the 2014 agreement regulating Sri Lankan domestic workers and provided development financing for projects in Sri Lanka. The execution of Sri Lankan worker Rizana Nafeek in 2013, despite appeals from Sri Lanka, was a serious source of strain.
Sri Lanka toward Saudi Arabia
+15Sri Lanka concluded a 2014 labor agreement with Saudi Arabia to regulate the employment of Sri Lankan domestic workers there. Sri Lankan authorities also appealed for clemency for Rizana Nafeek before her execution in 2013.
Overall relationship
+10The relationship includes concrete cooperation on migrant labor and Saudi development financing, but labor protections and the execution of a Sri Lankan worker have been significant sources of friction. These features support a generally modestly cooperative, though not close, bilateral relationship.
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 Sri Lanka have cooperated on migrant labor, including a 2014 agreement regulating the employment of Sri Lankan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia. Saudi development financing has also supported projects in Sri Lanka. Relations have faced strain over the treatment of Sri Lankan workers; Saudi Arabia executed Rizana Nafeek in 2013 despite appeals from Sri Lanka.
Areas of tension
- Treatment and protections of Sri Lankan migrant workers in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia's 2013 execution of Sri Lankan worker Rizana Nafeek despite appeals for clemency
Key developments
Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka concluded an agreement regulating the employment of Sri Lankan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia executed Sri Lankan worker Rizana Nafeek after Sri Lankan appeals for clemency.
Major uncertainties
- The scale and implementation of labor protections under the 2014 agreement are unclear.
- The extent of Saudi development financing and other bilateral cooperation is unclear.