Relationship dossier
Vatican City
Saudi Arabia
Relationship assessment
High-level diplomatic and interfaith dialogue amid differences over religious freedom
Vatican City toward Saudi Arabia
+20The Holy See hosted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2018 for discussions including interreligious dialogue and peace, reflecting active diplomatic engagement with Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia toward Vatican City
+20Saudi Arabia received Vatican foreign minister Paul Gallagher in 2017, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Pope Francis at the Vatican in 2018, engaging in diplomatic and interfaith dialogue.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship combines formal diplomatic engagement and high-level interfaith dialogue with significant differences over religious freedom, particularly restrictions on public Christian worship in Saudi Arabia. The exchanges indicate cooperation, but the scope and durability of practical initiatives 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
The Holy See and Saudi Arabia have engaged in high-level diplomatic and interfaith dialogue. The Vatican hosted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2018, and Saudi Arabia received Vatican foreign minister Paul Gallagher in 2017. Dialogue coexists with major differences over religious freedom and public Christian worship in Saudi Arabia.
Areas of tension
- Restrictions on public Christian worship and the absence of public churches in Saudi Arabia contrast with the Holy See's advocacy for religious freedom.
Key developments
Saudi Arabia received Vatican foreign minister Paul Gallagher for talks with Saudi leaders.
Pope Francis met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Vatican for discussions that included interreligious dialogue and peace.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and follow-through of bilateral interfaith initiatives are unclear.
- The extent of Saudi policy changes on public Christian worship is uncertain.