Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Brazil and Saudi Arabia established diplomatic relations in 1968. In 1973, Brazil opened its Embassy in Jeddah, and Saudi Arabia opened its Embassy in Brasília. In 1986, on the occasion of the transfer of the Saudi capital to Riyadh, the Brazilian diplomatic representation was relocated to that city.

Since then, bilateral ties have intensified. In May 2009, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made the first official visit by a Brazilian head of state to the Kingdom. On that occasion, the General Cooperation Agreement and the Memorandum of Understanding for the Establishment of Political Consultations were signed. In November 2023, President Lula returned to Riyadh, at the invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to deepen political and economic ties, as well as to exchange views on regional and global issues, especially the conflict in Gaza.

Reciprocal high-level visits have contributed to the strengthening of cooperation. Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira was in Riyadh in March 2024, when he held meetings on the bilateral economic agenda. Vice President Geraldo Alckmin led a business mission to Saudi Arabia in June 2024, when a Defense Cooperation Agreement was signed. On the Saudi side, the visit of the then Crown Prince (later King) Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud to Brazil in 2000 and that of Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan in 2021 stand out.

In the institutional sphere, Brazil and Saudi Arabia have adopted coordination mechanisms, such as the Joint Commission (created in 1975 and reopened in 2009) and the Political Consultation Mechanism (established in 2009). The first meeting of the Commission took place in 1979; the most recent, in 2015. In November 2024, at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the foreign ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding that created the “Brazilian-Saudi Coordination Council”.

Saudi Arabia is Brazil's largest trading partner in the Middle East and North Africa. In 2024, trade flow totaled $6.2 billion (a decrease of 8.3% compared to 2023) as a resulto f Brazilian exports of $3.1 billion (a decrease of 2.8%) and imports of US$ 3.1 billion (a drop of 13.4%). Trade balance was favorable for Brazil, with a $55.3 million surplus. The main products exported in 2024 were sugar and molasses (28%), poultry meat (26%), unground corn (11%), fresh beef (8.1%) and other products from the processing industry (3.8%). The main imports include crude petroleum oils (63%), fertilizers (16%), other plastic materials (7.3%) and fuel oils from petroleum or minerals (4.7%). There is great potential for increasing trade relations, given the productive complementarities between the two countries. Saudi investments in Brazil currently total more than $3.5 billion and cover a variety of sectors, including energy, agriculture, mining, logistics, infrastructure and food. The Public Investment Fund (PIF), the main Saudi sovereign wealth fund, participates in highway concession projects and maintains dialogue with the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) and other Brazilian funds. Examples of Saudi investments in Brazil include the stakes held by Saudi Manara Company and SALIC in large Brazilian companies in the mining, meat and processed food sectors.

The defense sector has great potential for strengthening collaboration. In 2024, Brazil and Saudi Arabia signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement. Brazilian companies in the sector, such as AVIBRAS, Condor, MacJee and CBC, maintain a commercial presence in the Kingdom.

Chronology of the Bilateral Relations

2025 – Minister of Mines and Energy Alexandre Silveira visits Riyadh

2024 – Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira visits Riyadh

2024 – Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Ibrahim Alkhoraye visits São Paulo, Brasília and Rio de Janeiro

2024 – Vice President of Brazil Geraldo Alckmin visits Riyadh

2024 – Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira visits Riyadh

2023 – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visits Riyadh

2023 – Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al Falih visits São Paulo

2021 – Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud visits Brasília

2019 – The president of Brazil makes an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

2018 – The Brazilian-Saudi Parliamentary Friendship Group is created within the framework of the Federal Senate

2018 – The president of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Commission of the Federal Senate, Senator Fernando Collor, visits Saudi Arabia

2017 – Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Blairo Maggi visits Saudi Arabia

2016 – Second meeting of the bilateral political consultations mechanism in Riyadh

2016 – Meeting between president Michel Temer and minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China

2015 – Foreign minister Mauro Vieira travels to Riyadh for the Fourth Summit of the South-America-Arab Countries mechanism – ASPA

2015 – Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Kátia Abreu visits Riyadh

2015 – Second meeting of the Bilateral Joint Commission,  in Brasília.

2015 – Delegation from the Saudi Advisory Council (Shura Council) visits Brazil

2014 – Creation of the Brazil-Saudi Arabia Parliamentary Friendship Committee within the framework of the Federal Senate’s Commission on Education, Culture and Sports (currently inactive)

2013 – Saudi Deputy fFreign Minister and son of the King, Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Saud, visits São Paulo

2012 – The first meeting of the political consultation bilateral mechanism, in Brasília

2012 – Minister of Mines and Energy Edison Lobão visits  Riyadh

2012 – Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade Fernando Pimentel visits Saudi Arabia

2011 – Minister of Mines and Energy Edison Lobão visits  Riyadh

2010 – Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade Miguel Jorge visits Riyadh

2010 – Saudi Minister of Agriculture Fahad bin Abdulrahman Balghunaim visits Brazil

2009 – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visits Riyadh. First visit of a Brazilian head of State to Saudi Arabia. Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of Political Consultations and the General Agreement on Bilateral Cooperation

2008 – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva meets with king Abdullah on the sidelines of the Finance G20, in Washington

2008 – Visit of foreign minister Celso Amorim to Saudi Arabia

2005 – The Saudi delegation, headed by foreign minister Saud al Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, takes part in the First ASPA Summit in Brasília

2005 – Visit of foreign minister Celso Amorim to Jeddah and Riyadh

2003 – Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade Luiz Fernando Furlan visits Saudi Arabia

2000 – The heir to the Saudi throne and future Saudi king Abdullah bin Abdula ziz Al Saud visits Brazil

1986 – Foreign minister Roberto de Abreu Sodré visits Saudi Arabia. The Brazilian diplomatic mission in Jeddah is relocated to Riyadh

1984 – The Prince Sultan bin AbdulAziz al Saud, Saudi Arabian minister of Defense and Aviation, visits  Brazil

1982 – Foreign Minister Ramiro Saraiva Guerreiro and  Finance Minister Ernane Galveas to Saudi Arabia pay visits to Saudi Arabia

1979 – Saudi minister of Agriculture and Water Resources Abdul Rahman Aziz Alsheik visits Brasília

1979 – First meeting of the Brazil-Saudi Arabia Joint Commission in Jeddah

1975 – Brazil and Saudi Arabia sign Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement

1974 – Opening of the Saudi resident diplomatic mission in Brasília during the visit of Saudi minister of Foreign Affairs, Omar Al Sakkaf

1973 – Establishment of the resident diplomatic mission of Brazil in Jeddah.  Opening of the embassy of Saudi Arabia in Brasília.

1970 – Brazil creates its embassy in Saudi Arabia, concurrently accredited to the embassy of Brazil in Beirut

1968 – Relations between Brazil and Saudi Arabia are established

1890 – The cruiser "Almirante Barroso", then a training ship of the Brazilian Navy, makes a stopover at the port of Jeddah, then under Ottoman rule, during its circumnavigation voyage