Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan will be in Rome on Thursday, August 28, for meetings with the Italian government. The visit comes eight months after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s trip to Riyadh, which concluded with $10 billion worth of agreements.
Decoding the news. Relations between Italy and Saudi Arabia are considered at their highest point ever, driven by the convergence between Vision 2030 and the priorities of the Meloni government.
- Cooperation goes well beyond the economy: energy (including renewables and green hydrogen), defence and maritime security, the Wider Mediterranean and Africa are major shared areas of interest.
What the experts say
- Mubarak Al-Ati, Saudi political analyst: “Relations established in 1932 have experienced constant growth without setbacks. Today they represent a strategic partnership in all fields, strengthened by the agreements signed during Meloni’s visit and by creating the Saudi-Italian Strategic Coordination Council.”
- Mohammad S. Alharbi, retired general and expert in strategic studies, describes the ties as their “best phase ever,” thanks to the Meloni government’s “pragmatic and non-ideological” approach, which has removed obstacles and facilitated cooperation.
Key areas of cooperation
- Energy: not only oil and gas, but also renewables and green hydrogen (with Eni as a key partner).
- Infrastructure, design, tourism, defence: where Italy can transfer expertise.
- Geostrategy:
- Two-State Solution (Palestine–Israel): an absolute priority for Riyadh, with Rome seen as a central Mediterranean actor.
- Africa: convergence with the Italian Mattei Plan for development and security based on cooperation rather than exploitation.
- Red Sea: “inevitable” coordination between Saudi Arabia (land and naval operations) and Italy (leading the Aspides naval mission).
- Gulf: Dialogue with the Gulf Cooperation Council could strengthen Italy’s pragmatic and balanced role within NATO.
The big picture. Faisal bin Farhan’s visit comes when bilateral relations have taken on a truly strategic and multidimensional character: from the economy to security, from the Wider Mediterranean to Africa.
- An agenda that shows how Rome and Riyadh intend to make cooperation a pillar of their respective international projections.
