Bridging Giants: Russia’s Economic Diplomacy with Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030
Bridging Giants: Russia’s Economic Diplomacy with Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030
By Dr. Divya Malhotra, Non-Resident Visiting Senior Fellow, CNSS
The article explores the growing economic and strategic partnership between Russia and Saudi Arabia, with a focus on Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Through joint
investments, OPEC+ coordination, and expanding trade, the two countries have fostered a resilient relationship that reflects a pragmatic shift in diplomacy. Despite ideological mismatches—such as Russia’s alignment with Iran—their cooperation underscores Riyadh’s multipolar foreign policy strategy and Moscow’s pivot to non-Western markets amid Western sanctions
The Russia–Saudi Arabia relationship has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade. Historically estranged due to Cold War alignments and divergent ideological trajectories, the two powers have emerged in recent years as pragmatic partners. Economic diplomacy has served as the linchpin of this rapprochement, with Russia increasingly investing in Saudi Arabia’s long-term economic diversification plan—Vision 2030.
Launched in 2016, Vision 2030 aims to reduce the Kingdom’s dependence on oil, develop public service sectors such as
health, education, infrastructure, and tourism, and position Saudi Arabia as a global investment powerhouse through sweeping social and economic reforms (KSA, 2016).