Ireland's relationship with Saudi Arabia
Relations between Ireland and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia date back to November 1919 when Prince Faisal bin Abdul Aziz, later King Faisal, visited the British Lieutenant Governor’s residence in the Phoenix Park – now the official residence of the President of Ireland.
In 1974, Ireland established diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, appointing our first Ambassador in 1975, before opening the Embassy of Ireland in Jeddah in 1976.
In the intervening 50 years, that relationship has flourished and prospered, to the mutual benefit of both countries.
Economic cooperation
Two-way trade between Ireland and Saudi Arabia is growing, exceeding €4.3 billion in 2023. This is supported by a strong collaborative approach by Team Ireland including: the Embassy, Enterprise Ireland, Bord Bia (Irish Food Board), IDA Ireland (Inward Investment), and Tourism Ireland.
Irish engineering, farming, and medical professionals have traditionally, and continue to make a critical contribution in the Kingdom, but today, Irish businesses are also prominently involved in data centres, education, fintech, ICT, medtech, and pharmaceuticals.
Several Irish companies have already established their regional Headquarters in Saudi with significant investments in people and technology in the aviation; food; and engineering sectors.
People-to-people connections
For over 50 years, Irish engineers, healthcare workers and agricultural experts have contributed to Saudi’s rapid transformation. Meanwhile, Saudi students in Ireland support our education and health sectors before returning to reinforce the accelerated implementation of Vision 2030.
Almarai is perhaps the most notable example. It was founded in 1977 by the McGuckian brothers and expanded in partnership with Prince Sultan bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Kabeer. Today it is the world’s largest vertically integrated dairy company and the largest producer of food and beverages across the Middle East.
Overall, some 2,000 Irish citizens now live and work in the Kingdom, while some 800 Saudi students undertake post-graduate studies in Ireland.
The Irish community provide a “home away from home” while supporting the promotion of Irish culture and business links through active networks including:
Growing partnerships
For centuries, Saudi Arabia, and in particular the Holy City of Mecca, has been at the centre of religious pilgrimage and trade routes from Africa; Asia; and Europe.
Today Saudi is one of the fastest growing economies in the G20, and Ireland will work alongside them as a guest country to the G20 for South Africa’s Presidency in 2025.
The Embassy of Ireland engages actively with over 120 Embassies in Riyadh, including 21 European Union embassies, to advance and enhance cooperation between Europe and the Middle East.