Australia | Saudi Arabia |
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Bilateral relations exist between Australia and Saudi Arabia. Australia has an embassy in Riyadh and a consulate in Jeddah; and Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Canberra and a consulate in Sydney. The two countries are members of G20.
Australia and Saudi Arabia established relations following the end of World War II. [1]
Saudi Arabia and Australia were part of the joint-alliance with the United States during the Cold War, as both were strongly anti-communist and hostile to the Soviet Union. [2] Once the Cold War came to an end, Saudi Arabia and Australia increased their cooperation.[ citation needed ]
Saudi Arabia, along with the United Arab Emirates, is Australia's major market partner in the Middle East. [3]
With Saudi Arabia announced Saudi Vision 2030, Australia was viewed highly for its contribution to the vision development. [4]
In 2016, it was reported that Saudi embassy staff in Canberra overspeed and do not pay their fines. [5]
In 2018, after Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated, the Australian government condemned the Saudi authorities and stated that Australian diplomats would not be attending an international event later that year. [6]
During the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC third round, Australia faced up Saudi Arabia in an important game over 2018 FIFA World Cup in Adelaide. The match happened after the deadly Manchester Arena bombing killing 23 people and two sides were informed to make one-minute silence; however the Saudi team, instead of observing one minute, disrespected the local populace by taking on the ground. [7] This has caused uproar that Saudis did not demonstrate respect for the population and that Saudis did not respect the deaths despite Saudi explanation that it wasn't part of Saudi culture, given how they already observed silence for the Qatar Airways Cup match between Al-Ahli Saudi FC and FC Barcelona a year earlier. [8] The Saudi officials later apologized for the misdeed and claimed to correct the mistakes. [9] Australia won the game 3–2 but only managed to qualify for World Cup throughout playoffs while Saudi Arabia managed to become one of four Asian teams to qualify first.
In 2022 and 2023, the Saudi Tourism Authority tried to be a sponsor of the FIFA Women's world cup 2023. It was not allowed to. Football Australia slammed FIFA and the Saudis for this as Football Australia ( and Football New Zealand ) were never consulted. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia has many human rights violations. [10]
In 2021, the two-way goods and services trade totalled $2.93 billion. Saudi Arabia is a substantial market for beef, sheep meat, barley, wheat, dairy products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, vehicle parts and accessories and vegetables. [1]
A large number of Saudi tertiary students study in Australia, mostly under the King Salman Scholarship Program. In 2019, there were more than 6,200 Saudi students studying in Australian educational institutions, representing the largest cohort from the Middle East region. [1]
At the time of the 2016 Australian census, there were over 12,000 Saudi Arabians living in Australia. [11]
Saudi Arabians living in Australia tend to have a higher median income compared to other migrant populations and the average Australian-born population. They are predominantly young (majority being under the age of 30). [11]
In 2020, Saudi Arabia was the most negatively perceived country by Australians according to a 2020 poll by the Lowy Institute, scoring only a 32% positivity rating. [12]
Foreign relations of Saudi Arabia are the diplomatic and trade relations between Saudi Arabia and other countries around the world. The foreign policy of Saudi Arabia is focused on co-operation with the oil-exporting Gulf States, the unity of the Arab World, Islamic solidarity, and support for the United Nations. In practice, the main concerns in recent years have been relations with the US, the Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen, the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Iraq, the perceived threat from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the effect of oil pricing. Saudi Arabia contributes large amounts of development aid to Muslim countries. From 1986 to 2006, the country donated £49 billion in aid.
Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi was a Saudi journalist, dissident, author, columnist for Middle East Eye and The Washington Post, and a general manager and editor-in-chief of Al-Arab News Channel who was assassinated at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October 2018 by agents of the Saudi government at the behest of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States began in 1933 when full diplomatic relations were established. These relations were formalized under the 1951 Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement. Despite the differences between the two countries—an Islamic absolute monarchy versus a secular constitutional republic—the two countries have been allies ever since. The U.S. provides military protection to the Kingdom in exchange for a reliable oil supply, pricing of oil in U.S. dollars, and support for American foreign policy. Ever since the modern relationship began in 1945, the U.S. has been willing to overlook some of the kingdom's domestic and foreign policy aspects as long as it maintained oil production and supported American national security policies. These aspects include Wahhabism, its human rights record, and alleged state-sponsored terrorism.
Russia–Saudi Arabia relations are the bilateral relations between the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The two countries are referred to as the two petroleum superpowers and account for about a quarter of the world's crude oil production between them.
Saudi Arabia and Turkey relations have long fluctuated between cooperation and alliance to enmity and distrust. Since the 19th century, the two nations have always had a complicated relationship. While Turkey and Saudi Arabia are major economic partners, the two have a tense political relationship, deemed from the historic enmity.
Japan–Saudi Arabia relations are the foreign relations between Saudi Arabia and Japan. Most new Official relations between the two nations were established in 1955.
According to the British government, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have long been close allies. Relations between the two countries date back to 1848, when Faisal bin Turki, ruler of the Second Saudi state, formally requested the support of the British Political Resident in Bushire for his representative in Trucial Oman.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) are neighbouring countries in the Middle East and Persian Gulf region, and share extensive political and cultural ties. Saudi Arabia maintains an embassy in Abu Dhabi and a consulate in Dubai of the U.A.E., while the U.A.E. has an embassy in Riyadh and a consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud is the heir apparent to the Saudi Arabian throne. He is currently Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He is the seventh son of King Salman of Saudi Arabia and grandson of the nation's founder, King Abdulaziz.
Saudi Vision 2030 is a government program launched by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which aims to achieve the goal of increased diversification economically, socially and culturally, in line with the vision of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. It was first announced on 25 April 2016 by the Saudi government.
The 2034 FIFA World Cup will be the 25th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. It is set to be hosted in Saudi Arabia, as it was the only nation to submit a bid in time for FIFA's deadline of 31 October 2023.
Saudi Arabia–Tunisia relations refers to the bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy while Tunisia is a democratic republic. However, two countries have engaged in larger cooperations
On 2 October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident journalist, was killed by agents of the Saudi government at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Khashoggi was ambushed and strangled by a 15-member squad of Saudi operatives. His body was dismembered and disposed of in some way that was never publicly revealed. The consulate had been secretly bugged by the Turkish government and Khashoggi's final moments were captured in audio recordings, transcripts of which were subsequently made public.
The assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident, journalist for The Washington Post and former general manager and editor-in-chief of Al-Arab News Channel, occurred on 2 October 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and was denounced by the majority of the international community.
Germany–Saudi Arabia relations refers to the international relations between Germany and Saudi Arabia. Both countries have established a pragmatic partnership centered mainly on economic interests. Saudi Arabia is the second most important trading partner for Germany in the Middle East. The German government regards Saudi Arabia as a partner, as the country can be a moderating influence on radical forces in the Middle East conflict.
The Egypt–Greece–Saudi Arabia 2030 FIFA World Cup bid was a joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup by Egypt, Greece, and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia was expected to lead the effort. Had it been successful, it would have been the first FIFA World Cup, men's or women's, to hosted in countries that are part of three different football federations on three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe and the first men's tournament to be held in more than one continental confederation.