Russia – Saudi Arabia: plight and prospects of cooperation

Abstract

For Russia, the political situation in the Persian Gulf region is of fundamental importance due to the size of its resource potential, its significant role in the global energy sector, geographical proximity, and the influence of the Arabian countries on the Muslim population of our country. The relative political stability and economic weight of the Arabian monarchies serve as the basis of the new – Arabian vector of Russia's Middle East policy. The influence of the monarchies of the Persian Gulf zone, primarily the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is growing in the region. The author tried to answer the question: what are the opportunities and prospects for establishing partnership relations between Russia and Saudi Arabia? Besides cooperation in the settlement of regional conflicts and the fight against international terrorism, the creation of a collective security zone in the Persian Gulf, coordination of actions in the oil market, bringing economic relations to a new qualitative level, and the development of humanitarian contacts are the most realistic areas of rapprochement.