Romanian-Saudi relations

In 1989, a revolution took place in Romania, after which the new government established friendly relations with Saudi Arabia. In October 1999, Romanian Prime Minister Radu Vasile received a delegation of the Majlis al-Shura from Saudi Arabia led by Chairman Sheikh Mohammed bin Ibrahim bin Usman bin Jubair ^[1] , who proposed the development of an agreement on trade, economic, technical, cultural and sports cooperation , as well as cooperation in the oil sector ^[2] .

In March 2000, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of Romania, Mihai Razvan Ungureanu, held talks with the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Nizar Madani . After the meeting, Nizar Madani told reporters that the main purpose of his visit to Romania is to find ways to diversify and strengthen Romanian-Saudi ties ^[3] . In April 2000, the King of Saudi Arabia, Fahd bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, met with Romanian Foreign Minister Petre Roman ^[4] . Petre Roman also held talks with his colleague Saud Ibn Faisal and Crown Prince Abdullah (Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council ) ^{[5] [6]} . The parties discussed the establishment of wider economic cooperation between countries ^[7] . In May 2000, the President of the Senate of Romania Mircea Ionescu Quintus visited Saudi Arabia at the invitation of the Chairman of the Mejlis al-Shura, Sheikh Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Jubayr ^[8] . In March 2003, the Chairman of the Romanian Chamber of Commerce, Gheorghe Cojocaru, and the Vice-Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Riyadh, Abdul Aziz Al Atel, signed a memorandum on the establishment of a bilateral Romanian-Saudi Economic Council ^[9] .

Since 2006, relations between countries have become closer, there has been tangible progress in trade and investment. In November 2006, the Minister of Trade and Industry of Saudi Arabia, Hashim Abdullah Yamani, visited Bucharest , where he held talks with the Romanian side on expanding economic cooperation. At a meeting, Romanian Deputy Prime Minister Bogdan Pascu said that Saudi Arabia is an important economic partner and Romania is interested in developing economic contacts with this state ^[10] . In November 2006, Ambassador Ion Dobreci presented his credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Ibn Faisal, in Riyadh. Ion Dobreci said that Bucharest seeks to expand economic, technical, scientific and cultural cooperation with Saudi Arabia, and is also exploring the possibility of cooperation in the oil and gas industry ^[11] . In November 2007, economists from Romania visited Saudi Arabia and Bahrain , where they met in chambers of commerce in Jeddah , Riyadh, Ed Dammam and Bahrain ^[12] . In July 2011, Romanian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ion Dobreci, died of heart failure ^[13] .

In 2005, the volume of trade between countries amounted to 200 million US dollars ^[11] . Although Romania has its own oil fields, it imports oil from Saudi Arabia. Romanian exports to Saudi Arabia: steel and aluminum products used in the oil industry ^[14] . In May 2007, the Romanian ambassador to Saudi Arabia announced that Saudi investors have invested 2.2 billion US dollars in the Romanian economy to date ^[15] .

In 2001, it was reported that the Amiantit group from Saudi Arabia planned to invest at least 54 million euros in existing pipe production facilities in Romania, as well as plans to increase investments to 109 million euros ^[16] . In November 2007, a controlling stake in the Romanian state-owned enterprise Electroputere was transferred to the Saudi Mada Group, which acquired it for $ 174 million. Electroputere manufactures railway engines, generators and electric transformers, while the Saudi Mada Group intends to invest US $ 1 billion to modernize its equipment. Saudi Mada Group participates in a major railway project in Saudi Arabia and plans to use railway engines from its Romanian company ^{[15] [17]} .

In 2007, the Saudi Zamil Group studied investment opportunities in Romanian steel and pipe manufacturing enterprises, and also developed a large housing project for 25,000 people in Romania ^[15] . In 2008, Saudi Oger acquired the Romanian mobile operator Zapp Mobile ^{[18] [19]} . A fairly large number of Romanian labor, especially engineers, are employed in the oil and construction industries in Saudi Arabia ^[20] .

• Romania has an embassy in Riyadh and an honorary consulate in Jeddah ^[21] .
• Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Bucharest ^[22] .