Saudi Arabia and Thailand: Burgeoning ties bind two friendly kingdoms

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Updated 19 November 2022
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Saudi Arabia and Thailand: Burgeoning ties bind two friendly kingdoms

  • Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit expected to give a boost to trade, investment and economic cooperation
  • Bilateral ties improving by leaps and bounds since resumption of Saudi-Thai diplomatic relations earlier this year

RIYADH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s official visit to Thailand, participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and meetings with several Asian heads of government are the latest highlights of a successful tour of Asia.

Friday’s engagements in Bangkok came after an official visit by the crown prince to Seoul for meetings with the South Korean leadership and signing of economic deals. He also attended the two-day G20 leaders’ summit in Bali, Indonesia.

The crown prince’s arrival in the Thai capital on Thursday represented a symbolic turning of the page in Saudi-Thai relations and followed the resumption of diplomatic ties in January.

He was invited by Thailand to join the APEC forum as a guest of honor despite Saudi Arabia not being a member of the group, an indication of Thailand’s desire to enhance cooperation, trade and investment to serve both kingdoms.

Leaders and representatives from 21 economies on both sides of the Pacific Ocean were expected to discuss how to maintain stability during the challenges of climate change and the growing political and economic fallout of the war in Ukraine.




Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives in Thailand on an official visit, where he was received by the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Thailand. (SPA)

The summit began with an appeal by the host Thailand for member states to work together to attain sustainable growth and development.

The crown prince and APEC leaders discussed sustainable trade and investment in an informal dialogue session. He also held talks with national leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah.

Abdurrahman bin Abdulaziz Al-Suhaibani, the Saudi ambassador to Thailand, told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that the crown prince’s visit came after an invitation from Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and followed a landmark visit he made to Saudi Arabia in January.

Al-Suhaibani said the significance of the visit was evident given it coincided with the APEC forum, involving the participation of 23 countries. He said it was aimed at strengthening cooperation and partnership between the two countries and would help boost relations and trade.

He added that the exploration of areas of investment opportunities was necessary in light of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reform plan and the development priorities of Thailand, which include the policy of a circular, green economy.

The two countries were also looking for cooperation in renewable energy, the environment, digital transformation and cybersecurity, Al-Suhaibani said.




Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greets Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as he arrives in Riyadh on an official visit in January 2022. (SPA)

The ambassador said that the visit was “an extension of the Kingdom’s efforts in serving Islam and Muslims all over the world. The Kingdom’s government has paid attention to the Muslims of Thailand and takes care of them in cooperation and coordination with the Thai government.”

After Prayuth’s visit to the Kingdom, ambassadors were appointed to their respective capitals and agreements on tourism, labor, energy and food security were signed. The first commercial flight from Riyadh to Bangkok arrived on Feb. 28.

A memorandum of understanding on Thai workers taking jobs in Saudi Arabia was signed in March. In May, Khalid Al-Falih, the Saudi minister of investment, and Don Pramudwinai, Thailand’s foreign minister, jointly hosted the Saudi-Thai Investment Forum.

By August, Saudi arrivals in the Southeast Asian country had risen to 35,000. Thailand hopes to attract up to 300,000 Saudi visitors by the end of the year.

In September, a memorandum of understanding was signed to create the Thai-Saudi Business Council, marking a significant step toward cementing trade ties and potentially giving Thailand access to the wider Gulf Cooperation Council market.

Trade relations have been steadily developing. Saudi Aramco has an agreement to sell 166,000 barrels per day of crude oil to the Thai company PTT Public. The firm has now proposed to increase the quantities and duration of the deliveries.

The Saudi firm SABIC has a factory in Thailand that produces specialized materials such as NORYL plastics. The company sells around 1.3 million tons of petrochemical products and fertilizers in Thailand a year and employs 83 people in its regional office in Bangkok.

The volume of the Kingdom's exports to Thailand amounted to $4 billion during 2020, while the volume of Thailand's exports to the Kingdom amounted to $1.65 billion in the same year, according to Saudi government sources.

The volume of trade exchange between Saudi Arabia and Thailand in the past five years amounted to $34.65 billion, according to SPA.

The Kingdom's non-oil exports to Thailand exceeded SR2 billion during the year 2020, with mineral, chemical and aluminum products topping the list of the most important exported commodities. Cars and their parts, machinery, wood and its products were among most prominent imported commodities.

The two countries are seeking cooperation in agriculture through and trade in basic crops such as rice and halal items.

Saudi Arabia is eager to export dates to Thailand and to enhance cooperation in Thai fish and poultry farming.

THENUMBER

*$34.65bn - Volume of KSA-Thailand trade in the past 5 years.

The Kingdom maintained its support for Thailand’s Muslims even before the resumption of diplomatic relations this year. 

Saudi Arabia provided humanitarian assistance after the 2004 tsunami, including $30 million in donations and 75 tons of relief.

In May 2019, Saudi Arabia extended support to Thai Muslims through scholarships and financial support, and, in April of last year distributed food to around 35,000 people during Ramadan.




Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is leading delegates from the Kingdom to attend the annual gathering of the 21-member APEC. (Twitter: @spagov)

In August, the Islamic Center in Bangkok opened an exhibition of Saudi culture and heritage, which was organized by the Kingdom’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs.

Saudi Arabia first established diplomatic relations with Thailand in 1957. The two kingdoms enjoyed good relations that were strengthened with official visits.

In March 1966, the Kingdom raised the level of diplomatic representation in Thailand from a consulate to an embassy. Thailand opened its embassy in Riyadh in 1984 while keeping its consulate in Jeddah.

Relations between the two countries developed and continued in all political, economic, trade and tourism fields until 1990.

During his visit to Riyadh in January, Prayuth said Thailand attached utmost importance to friendship with Saudi Arabia, and was keen to end all outstanding issues.

He expressed his sincere regret over the tragic events that occurred in Thailand in 1989 and 1990, and said that the Thai government had made great efforts to resolve previous issues.

Thailand also stressed its commitment to the protection of Saudi diplomats in Thailand, in accordance with the Vienna Convention, and said it would raise previous issues with the competent authorities if new evidence surfaced.


Ancient Saudi city of Qurh a historic stop for pilgrim and trade caravans

Updated 29 May 2025
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Ancient Saudi city of Qurh a historic stop for pilgrim and trade caravans

  • Qurh was capital of Wadi Al-Qura, a center for Arab markets
  • Architectural features date back to the early Islamic periods

ALULA: Qurh, an ancient city in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla governorate, served for centuries as a vital hub for pilgrims and traders, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Located about 20 km south of AlUla’s old town, near the village of Mughayra, Qurh is one of the Royal Commission for AlUla’s archaeological sites. AlUla’s other main heritage sites are Dadan, Hegra and the Old Town.

Qurh’s ruins spread across an expansive plain surrounded by medium-height mountains. The ruins include remnants of architectural structures, marketplaces, streets, and palaces, all of which highlight the city’s once-thriving economic and urban life.

Architectural features dating back to the early Islamic periods also suggest that settlement and cultural growth continued after the advent of Islam.

The ruins include remnants of architectural structures, marketplaces, streets, and palaces, all of which highlight the city's once-thriving economic and urban life.  (SPA)

Qurh was the capital of Wadi Al-Qura and a center for Arab markets, as described by the historian Hisham bin Al-Kalbi, who identified it as a commercial and cultural center and a cradle of the arts.

The city was located on the route of the historic Incense Road, a trade artery used to transport precious goods from the southern Arabian Peninsula to the north, passing through Wadi Al-Qura.

The ruins include remnants of architectural structures, marketplaces, streets, and palaces, all of which highlight the city's once-thriving economic and urban life.  (SPA)

According to Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani, the RCA’s vice president for culture, the excavations in Qurh have so far proved “that there was some interaction with China at the beginning of the Islamic period.”

“Evidence exists of interactions and trade extending as far as China,” he said in an interview produced by FT Longitude in partnership with the RCA.

“With China, for example, (there were) merchants who brought porcelain, medicines and silk to Arabia with incense for sure, ivory, while other valuables travelled in the opposite directions.”

AlUla, part of Saudi Arabia’s western province of Madinah, has been home to the ancient Dadanites, Lihyanites, Nabataeans, Sabaeans, Minoans, Egyptian, Romans and Arabs, he said.


Saudi defense minister holds talks with UK security, defense officials

Updated 29 May 2025
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Saudi defense minister holds talks with UK security, defense officials

  • Prince Khalid bin Salman and UK National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell discussed strategic partnership between the two countries

LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held talks with the UK’s National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell in London on Wednesday.

The two sides “reviewed the strong friendship and strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and the UK,” the Saudi Press Agency reported. “They also reviewed areas of cooperation and discussed regional and global developments, as well as ongoing efforts to support security and stability.”

The talks followed a meeting on Tuesday between Prince Khalid and British Defense Secretary John Healey during which they discussed strategic defense cooperation.


Saudi Embassy coordinating with Turkiye to find boy who fell into a creek

Updated 28 May 2025
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Saudi Embassy coordinating with Turkiye to find boy who fell into a creek

  • The embassy coordinated with child’s family after he reportedly went missing in a river in Trabzon province
  • Turkish authorities are investigating the incident

ANKARA: The Saudi Arabian Embassy in Turkiye confirmed on Wednesday that it is coordinating with Turkish authorities to search for a Saudi child who reportedly fell into Haldizen Creek in Uzungol region.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the embassy issued a statement clarifying the reports circulating in media outlets and across social media platforms regarding the incident in Trabzon province.

“From the first moments of the incident, the embassy coordinated with the child’s family and contacted the relevant Turkish authorities to investigate the incident,” the statement said.

“The authorities have responded and are gratefully conducting extensive searches in the area and its surrounding to locate the child. We ask God Almighty to crown these efforts with success and to protect everyone from all harm,” it added.


Founding nations sign Global Water Organization charter in Riyadh

Updated 28 May 2025
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Founding nations sign Global Water Organization charter in Riyadh

  • Ceremony was attended by Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan, who highlighted the importance of the GWO in tackling water issues worldwide
  • Prince Faisal said that Saudi Arabia would provide financial and logistical support to the GWO for the next five years

RIYADH: The Global Water Organization officially launched operations from its headquarters in Riyadh on Wednesday, with founding member states signing the organization’s charter.

The ceremony was attended by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, who highlighted the importance of the GWO in tackling water issues worldwide through a holistic approach, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

“The launch of the Global Water Organization affirms Saudi Arabia’s commitment to strengthening international initiatives and addressing global challenges through partnerships based on cooperation between countries and governments,” Prince Faisal said.

“The Kingdom looks forward to the organization becoming an international platform that drives sustainable solutions and supports developing nations in enhancing their water capabilities,” he said.

Prince Faisal said that Saudi Arabia would provide financial and logistical support to the GWO for the next five years, emphasizing that collective action was essential to achieving shared objectives. Prince Faisal invited all countries and private-sector entities to join the organization.

Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadley took part in the ceremony and emphasized that the signing of the Global Water Organization’s charter and the launch of its operations from Riyadh reinforced shared international responsibility to preserve water resources.

Al-Fadley added that the importance of the organization stemmed from water being not just a resource, but a source of economic and social development and stability worldwide.

He described the organization as “not just a platform that brings countries together, but a collective global mind working to develop and integrate the efforts of countries and organizations to address water challenges comprehensively.”

“The Global Water Organization will lead international efforts to address water-related challenges and transform traditional water management approaches. These challenges go beyond water scarcity to ensure its availability at the right time and place and recognize its impact on the economy, public health, food security and supply chains, especially in the face of climate change,” he said.

He emphasized the importance of having an integrated system that covered all stages of the water cycle, adopting innovative economic models based on cost-benefit analysis, introducing new financing mechanisms, reducing reliance on government subsidies, and actively involving the private sector.

The GWO’s charter was signed by representatives from founding countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Spain, Senegal, Pakistan, Greece and Mauritania.

The organization aims to strengthen the efforts of countries and organizations to address water challenges.


Saudi FM receives US envoy to Syria in Riyadh

Updated 28 May 2025
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Saudi FM receives US envoy to Syria in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received US envoy to the Syrian Arab Republic Thomas Barrack in Riyadh on Wednesday.

During the meeting, they discussed steps to provide economic, humanitarian and other support to the Syrian people, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji received Ambassador of Italy to the Kingdom Carlo Balducci in Riyadh on Wednesday.

They discussed bilateral relations and other topics of common interest.