Russia–Saudi Arabia relations

Russia Builds Space Program With Saudi Arabia, Iran Amid Roscosmos' Struggles
Saudi Arabia and Russia have reached an agreement for collaboration between their space programs for peaceful exploration, Saudi media report. Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers signed off on the deal Monday.

King Salman directed the head of the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology to sign a cooperation deal with the Russian space agency Roscosmos, English-language Saudi news outlet Arab News reported. Officials did not announce a timeline for the joint space operations nor detail what form the collaborative efforts would take.

Saudi Arabia’s agreement with Russia occurred months after the Kremlin purportedly reached a similar arrangement with Iran, the Saudis' regional archrival, on joint space exploration, RT reported. Under that deal, Russia allegedly agreed to train would-be Iranian astronauts and collaborate on the production of satellites.

“A protocol on cooperation was signed on April 10 in Tehran after the fifth session of Russian-Iranian work group on space cooperation,” a source from Russia’s space program told Russian newspaper Izvestia, according to RT.

Saudi defence minister to meet Vladimir Putin for talks on Syria
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s defence minister, is travelling to Russia this week as the oil-rich kingdom and US ally tries to build bridges with President Vladimir Putin.

The 30-year old deputy crown prince, who has led the kingdom’s air war in Yemen, will meet Mr Putin on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday for talks that show how Moscow is searching for new approaches to the Syria conflict.

Russia has been a high-profile supporter of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, which is locked in a bloody four-year civil war against rebel groups including jihadis such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis). Saudi Arabia is supporting secular and “moderate” Islamist rebels in the hope of unseating Mr Assad.

Prince Salman’s visit comes as the US and Gulf states also seek to encourage Russia in support a political transition away from Mr Assad.

Arms sales, including Saudi interest in the Iskander 3 missile system, will also be discussed along with co-operation over Russia’s Glonass satellite system and in the energy and agriculture sectors.

Book. wrote:

Saudi defence minister to meet Vladimir Putin for talks on Syria
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s defence minister, is travelling to Russia this week as the oil-rich kingdom and US ally tries to build bridges with President Vladimir Putin.

The 30-year old deputy crown prince, who has led the kingdom’s air war in Yemen, will meet Mr Putin on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday for talks that show how Moscow is searching for new approaches to the Syria conflict.

Russia has been a high-profile supporter of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, which is locked in a bloody four-year civil war against rebel groups including jihadis such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis). Saudi Arabia is supporting secular and “moderate” Islamist rebels in the hope of unseating Mr Assad.

Prince Salman’s visit comes as the US and Gulf states also seek to encourage Russia in support a political transition away from Mr Assad.

Arms sales, including Saudi interest in the Iskander 3 missile system, will also be discussed along with co-operation over Russia’s Glonass satellite system and in the energy and agriculture sectors.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4e08e29e-14fa-11e5-9509-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3dNcgmskq

Saudi Arabia, Russia Sign Military, Nuclear, Oil Deals
Saudi Arabia and Russia on Thursday signed a number of strategic military, nuclear and oil agreements.
The agreements were inked on the sidelines of a historic meeting between Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has accepted Putin’s invitation to visit Russia. This was disclosed by Prince Mohammed during his meeting with Putin.

“King Salman has confirmed that he has accepted the President’s invitation to visit Russia,” said the Prince.

On behalf of the King, Prince Mohammed extended an invitation to Putin to visit Saudi Arabia.

The Russian President said he would be happy to visit the country. “I remember the warm reception I received in Saudi Arabia,” Putin said.

Prince Mohammed said that Saudi Arabia considered Russia an important partner and recalled that the Soviet Union was the first country to recognize the Kingdom in 1926.

Earlier in the day, Saudi Arabia and Russia signed a military pact and an agreement to cooperate in using nuclear energy for peaceful ends.

According to Russian news agencies, the agreement creates a legal basis for cooperation between the two countries in the field of nuclear energy in a wide range of areas, including building nuclear energy reactors and providing services in the nuclear fuel cycle, for nuclear power stations and research reactors, among other things. The agreement includes handling spent fuel and radioactive waste, and the production of radioactive isotopes and their application in industry, medicine and agriculture. It also concerns the training of staff.

The agreement was signed as part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.  King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE) President Hashim Yamani and Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom Director Sergey Kiriyenko signed the document on behalf of their governments.

“The document for the first time in the history of Russian-Saudi relations creates a legal basis for cooperation between our countries in the field of nuclear energy,” Rosatom said.

The Kingdom has no industrial nuclear power plants, but has big plans for developing nuclear energy, according to Russia Today.

Saudi and Russian Oil Ministers also signed a broad-based cooperation agreement.

The high-profile delegation accompanying the Deputy Crown Prince included a number of businessmen as well as senior military and economic officials.

Arab allies looking anywhere but to America for friendship
By Benny AvniJune 30, 2015 | 7:21pm

As America and partnering world powers toil in Vienna to turn Iran into their BFF, our traditional, now jilted, Arab allies are looking for love in all the wrong places.

Can you blame them, though?

Fearing the rise of a new empire ruled by megalomaniacal Persian Shiites, the Saudis, Egyptians and others are seeking alliances with Vladimir Putin, who dreams of his own empire.

Take Egypt. Seeking to enter Putin’s customs union, Cairo now contemplates switching to rubles in order to buy Russian wheat. Egypt plans to join the Eurasian Economic Union by the end of next year — a trading bloc that for now includes only Russian satellites like Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia.
Oh, and the Egyptian army once again is buying Russian-made tanks, guns and MiG fighter jets, as well as Chinese clones.
That’s a total reversal of one of the Cold War’s major coups, when, almost overnight, the Soviet-dependent Egyptian army turned to US-made planes and tanks in the late 1970s.

Cairo also switched allegiances. After Washington brokered an Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, the most populous Arab country turned into a trusted American ally.

And now we’re beginning to see a reversal. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi suspects that the United States no longer has his back, so he’s turning east.

At least Sisi has some memories of being part of the Soviet bloc. The Saudis don’t.
Riyadh has depended on American protection for more than half a century, returning the favor by guaranteeing relative stability in global energy markets (except for a spell during the Carter years).

Yet now the Saudis, too, are seeking Russia’s friendship.

Two weeks ago, Riyadh’s newly minted deputy crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, popped up in St. Petersburg for an international economic conference.

A 29-year-old Saudi prince — a defense minister, King Salman’s favorite son and a strong candidate to succeed him — doesn’t come to Russia just to see the beautiful churches of St. Petersburg. Mohammed was there to make a statement, and also to sign deals — including, most importantly, in nuclear technology.

Why would Saudis seek help in developing nuclear-energy technology? Surely not because they lack home-grown energy resources.
And why in the world would Riyadh turn to Russia, of all places, for help? After all, both countries rely on oil exports to maintain their economies, so they’re fierce competitors. (The Saudis must’ve been furious when Russia recently surpassed them as the largest oil exporter to China.)

Nevertheless, the Saudis are increasingly dismayed at America’s huge strides in befriending their regional rival, Iran. In official and semi-official statements, Riyadh has made clear its intention to match Iran’s nuclear progress step for step. Surely America won’t help them in that pursuit.
Until recently, the Saudis have mostly relied on the United States for all of their defense needs. Now they’re playing catchup: Public bravado aside, the Saudis are light years behind Iran in developing nuclear capability.

But they have money, and Riyadh has reportedly allocated $80 billion to fund its attempt to match Iran’s nukes in the next two decades.
All for peaceful purposes, of course. Just like Iran.

In the process, the Saudis will likely need to improve relations with anyone who’ll help in speeding up their nuclear pursuit: Russia, China, Pakistan, et al.

As American and Iranian diplomats itch to sign an oh-so-historic nuclear deal, our traditional allies are looking anywhere but to America for friendship.
It’s a desperate pursuit. Egypt would much rather bank on the old, reliable American dollar than on the volatile ruble, to say nothing of the value of having the US military train its officers. And Saudi Arabia is more comfortable doing business with America than with Russia or China.
But, as Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said this week, Washington now sees Iran as the solution, while Israel — and America’s traditional Arab allies — see it as the problem.

We’re yet to witness any reciprocation for our efforts to befriend Iran. (Starting with an end to Tehran’s “death to America” chants, maybe?)
Meanwhile, our nuclear diplomacy, possibly culminating in an agreement this week, is a great lesson in how to lose friends and stop influencing people.

Cyberspec wrote:Still it's a stupid idea to sell it to the Saudi's....no 2 ways about it.

PS

Aleksandar is a Slavic name...stop spreading German 19th century propaganda about history...Russian's by and large are clueless about history...swallowing rubbish and crapping on about it...hopefully this national awakening will lead to some sorely needed changes in this field as well

medo wrote:I wonder what kind of conditions Russia place to KSA for selling Iskander missiles to KSA. Maybe they place a condition to sell oil in Rubles and Juans, because if KSA start selling oil for Rubles and Juans, US Dollar is screwed.

medo wrote:I wonder what kind of conditions Russia place to KSA for selling Iskander missiles to KSA. Maybe they place a condition to sell oil in Rubles and Juans, because if KSA start selling oil for Rubles and Juans, US Dollar is screwed.

Saudi Arabia has borrowed $4 billion from local banks in the past year by selling its first bonds in eight years to cover a budget deficit created by low oil prices.
Fahad al-Mubarak, the governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, said the government will use a combination of bonds and reserves to maintain spending and cover a deficit that will be larger than expected, about $130 billion this year.

"We expect to see an increase in borrowing," he was quoted as saying by the economic daily Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper over the weekend.

Saudi Arabia needs an oil price of $105 a barrel to meet planned spending requirements, but the average price for the year is estimated at $58 a barrel.

To sustain spending, the government has been dipping into its foreign reserves, which were at $672 billion in May, down from their August peak of $737 billion.

"Reality is hitting home, and necessity is also hitting home," John Sfakianakis, director for the Gulf region at Ashmore, a fund manager, told Financial Times.

"If the government continues business as usual and draws down like this it will deplete reserves faster than expected, by the end of 2018 or early 2019," added Sfakianakis.

The sale of domestic bonds should ease the rate of drawdown on Sama's overseas assets.

"Issuance at this stage is intended to reach two goals: create alternative sources of revenue, but also reinvigorate the debt market," said Sfakianakis.

Saudi Arabia is looking to scale back its reliance on U.S. weapons and could turn to Russia as an alternative supplier, according to a Monday report from the Interfax news agency. However, the sheer scale of Riyadh’s defense relationship with the U.S. means that such a move could be more than a decade away.

"We forecast that military and technical cooperation between our countries in the foreseeable future will develop dynamically,” a Russian source told Interfax. “However, conclusion of major arms contracts in the nearest future is unlikely because Saudi Arabia oriented for many years towards purchasing firstly U.S. arms.”

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and Defense Minister aide Mohammed bin Abdullah al-Ayesh were seen at Moscow’s international military and technical forum in June. Sources at the event indicated that they took significant interest in a number of Russian samples. "Certain interest was shown in particular in the new Russian operative and tactical complex Iskander-3, air defense systems, helicopter equipment, Tigr corvettes of the 20382 project, small submarines and Bal-E mobile coastal defense missile systems," the source said.

Russian military data shows that the share of U.S. arms in the Saudi military is over 80 percent.

The potential for a new relationship with Russia comes at a difficult time for relations between Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Riyadh is unhappy with a deal Washington has brokered with Iran that will see sanctions against Tehran lifted and will likely see the Persian country reestablish itself as a regional rival to Saudi Arabia.

While Saudi Arabia hasn’t kicked up as much of a fuss as Israel has over the Iran deal, the country does have some lingering doubts and fears about what it could mean for security in the region. In recent days, Israel and Riyadh have put aside their own rivalry and joined forces to condemn the details of the U.S.-led deal.

Russia is undertaking a $400 billion modernization project of its military antiquated Soviet equipment and has developed a number of advanced systems that it is actively looking to sell. The project, which has seen the largest dispersal of Russia forces since the end of the Cold War in 1991, is expected to be complete by 2020. Russia wants military and political parity with the United States.

RIYADH —Saudi Arabia will form a committee with Russia to work on state nuclear energy projects, Al-Watan daily reported.

Rosatum State Nuclear Energy Cooperation International Projects Development Director Nikolai Drozdov said Russia is laying the foundation of long-term cooperation with Saudi Arabia.

“We are interested in projects which will benefit Russia and Saudi Arabia. We will hold a conference showcasing the 70-year experience of Russian scientists in the field of nuclear energy. The conference will be held this year and will showcase project opportunities Russian scientists can offer to the Saudi market,” said Drozdov.

He added Russia has signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia to work on nuclear projects for peaceful purposes.

“The agreement included expansion in the field of nuclear fuel, establishment of desalination plants, exploring the interdisciplinary fields of nuclear energy and other domains such as medicine and agriculture and training sessions between the two countries,” said Drozdov.

He said the Kingdom has expressed that it would like to tackle its electricity problem and find a solution for it through the nuclear agreement.

“The Kingdom plans to meet at least 20 percent of its electricity needs from nuclear power generated in the Kingdom. The nuclear power projects will empower the Saudi economy as generating energy will become proficient,” said Drozdov.

He added the nuclear energy projects could solve the Kingdom’s water problems as well.

“We are already working with Egypt to establish desalination plants and we will propose similar projects to the Saudis. However, in order to establish nuclear power plants in Saudi Arabia, the country must build the infrastructure first,” said Drozdov.

He said the Kingdom plans to establish 16 nuclear power plants within the next 25 years.

“Considering the lack of infrastructure in the Kingdom, its goal is quite ambitious. However, there is a great need for Saudi Arabia to establish nuclear power plants,” said Drozdov.

Solncepek wrote:Reports of fierce clashes between security forces & unknown armed groups in two different neighborhoods in east #Riyadh #Saudi

Fierce gun fire in east #Saudi capital #Riyadh.. Security forces closing roads to clashes site