Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Brazil and Saudi Arabia established diplomatic relations in 1968 (the 50th anniversary is celebrated in 2018). 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 moved to that city.
Brazil maintains traditionally close bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia, with the first official visits from the two sides taking place in 1973. Bilateral relations gained momentum from the 2000s onwards: then Saudi Heir Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud visited Brazil in 2000, and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited Saudi Arabia in 2009. Meetings of the bilateral joint commission (2nd COMISTA, in 2015) and the political consultations mechanism (2012 and 2016) were held the following decade, in addition to the creation, in April 2018, within the scope of the Brazilian Federal Senate, of the Brazilian-Saudi Parliamentary Friendship Group.
Bilateral relations have also improved in the economic scene. Saudi Arabia is Brazil’s main trading partner in the Middle East and northern Africa and the largest oil supplier to Brazil (33 percent of total Brazilian oil imports).
Trade relations show a great potential for growth given the productive complementarities between the two countries. In 2018, trade exchange reached 4.4 billion dollars. Brazilian exports, which before consisted entirely of basic products, now have a larger share of manufactured and semi-finished products (in 2018 they accounted for 36.1% of total exports).
Chronology of the Bilateral Relations
2019 – The president of Brazil visits the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (October 29) [Joint statement] [Joint Statement on Saudi-Brazilian Strategic Investment Partnership]
2018 – The Brazilian-Saudi Parliamentary Friendship Group is created within the framework of the Federal Senate (April)
2018 – The president of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Commission of the Federal Senate, Senator Fernando Collor, visits Saudi Arabia (March 28-April 1)
2017 – Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Blairo Maggi visits Saudi Arabia (May 15-19)
2016 – Second meeting of the bilateral political consultations mechanism in Riyadh (October 17)
2016 – Meeting between president Michel Temer and minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China (September)
2015 – Foreign minister Mauro Vieira travels to Riyadh, where he heads the Brazilian delegation at the Fourth Summit of the South-America-Arab Countries mechanism – ASPA (November 8-12)
2015 – Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Kátia Abreu travels to Riyadh, where she signs bilateral documents to lift the sanitary embargo on Brazilian meat imports imposed by the Saudi Kingdom in 2012 (November 8)
2015 – Second meeting of the Bilateral Joint Commission is held in Brasília. On the occasion, bilateral agreements on sports cooperation and air services and the memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the Rio Branco Institute and the Saudi diplomatic academy were signed (April 14)
2015 – Delegation from the Saudi Advisory Council (Shura Council) is hosted by vice president Michel Temer during a visit to Brazil (March 9-11)
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 foreign minister and son of the king, Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Saud, conducts the prize-giving ceremony of the Sixth King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud International Translation Contest, during his visit to São Paulo. On the occasion, he is hosted by vice president of the Republic Michel Temer and the governor of São Paulo State, Geraldo Alckmin (October 21)
2012 – The first meeting of the political consultations bilateral mechanism takes place in Brasília (May 30)
2012 – Minister of Mines and Energy Edison Lobão takes part in the International Energy Forum meeting in Riyadh (February 22)
2012 – Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade Fernando Pimentel visits Saudi Arabia (February 18)
2011 – Minister of Mines and Energy Edison Lobão travels to Riyadh to take part in the International Energy Forum meeting (February 27)
2010 – Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade Miguel Jorge visits Riyadh along with an entrepreneurial mission (December 3-4)
2010 – Saudi Minister of Agriculture Fahad bin Abdulrahman Balghunaim visits Brazil accompanied by an entrepreneurial mission (October 3-6)
2009 – Visit of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to 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 (May 16-17)
2008 – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva meets with king Abdullah on the sidelines of the Finance G20, in Washington (November 15)
2008 – Visit of foreign minister Celso Amorim to Saudi Arabia (February)
2005 – The Saudi delegation, headed by foreign minister Saud al Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, takes part in the First ASPA Summit in Brasília (May)
2005 – Visit of foreign minister Celso Amorim to Jeddah and Riyadh (February)
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 (September)
1986 – Foreign minister Roberto de Abreu Sodré visits Saudi Arabia. The Brazilian diplomatic mission in Jeddah is relocated to Riyadh.
1984 – Signing of the Protocol on Industrial-Military Cooperation during the visit of Prince Sultan bin AbdulAziz al Saud, Saudi Arabian minister of Defense and Aviation, to Brazil
1982 – Visit of Foreign Minister Ramiro Saraiva Guerreiro and of Finance Minister Ernane Galveas to Saudi Arabia
1979 – Saudi minister of Agriculture and Water Resources Abdul Rahman Aziz Alsheik visits Brasília and addresses Brazilian cooperation in agriculture with foreign minister Saraiva Guerreiro (June 12)
1979 – First meeting of the Brazil-Saudi Arabia Joint Commission in Jeddah (April 28-May 2)
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. The foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, Omar Al Sakkaf, meets with the head of Brazilian oil company Petrobras, General Geisel, and the incoming foreign minister, Azevedo da Silveira, in Rio de Janeiro
1970 – Brazil creates its embassy in Saudi Arabia, concurrent to the embassy of Brazil in Beirut (January 23)
1968 – Relations between Brazil and Saudi Arabia are established (December 23)
1890 – The cruiser "Almirante Barroso", at the time a training ship of the Brazilian Navy, makes a stopover at the port of Jeddah, then under Ottoman rule, during its circumnavigation voyage