Saudi Arabia and Germany have agreed to establish a strategic dialogue between their foreign ministries, marking a new step in efforts to deepen political consultation and coordination between the two countries. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and German Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul signed a memorandum of understanding during their meeting in Berlin, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The agreement provides for a strategic dialogue at the level of the two countries’ foreign ministers, with the aim of strengthening consultation and coordination and advancing bilateral relations across a range of areas.
The agreement came as the two ministers held talks covering Saudi-German relations, economic and trade cooperation and developments in the region. The meeting also placed particular emphasis on the security of international waterways and the importance of maintaining freedom of maritime navigation.
The memorandum is intended to give Saudi Arabia and Germany a more structured channel for political consultations between their foreign ministries. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the two governments agreed through the memorandum to establish a strategic dialogue at foreign-minister level, strengthen consultation and coordination, and further develop bilateral relations in various fields.
The agreement follows a series of contacts between Prince Faisal and Wadephul over the past year. The two ministers have held meetings and discussions on several occasions, including talks in Riyadh, Berlin and on the sidelines of international meetings. In July, they also discussed bilateral relations, areas of cooperation and regional developments during a telephone conversation. The latest agreement therefore formalises a mechanism through which the two sides can continue political discussions at the highest level of their foreign ministries.
Saudi Arabia and Germany discuss economic and trade cooperation
Economic and trade relations were also among the issues discussed during the Berlin meeting. Prince Faisal and Wadephul reviewed the volume of trade between Saudi Arabia and Germany and discussed ways to increase it. The two sides also looked at opportunities to expand cooperation and investment across different sectors.
The Saudi Press Agency said the discussions were aimed at increasing bilateral trade in a way that reflects the depth of relations between the two countries while opening additional opportunities for cooperation and investment. Economic relations have remained an important part of contacts between Riyadh and Berlin, alongside political and diplomatic cooperation. The latest discussions indicate that both governments are looking to broaden those links rather than limit the relationship to diplomatic and regional issues.
The signing in Berlin is the latest development in a series of meetings between Prince Faisal and Wadephul. The two ministers met in Berlin in August 2025, when they discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation as well as regional and international developments. They met again in Riyadh in March 2026, where they reviewed bilateral relations and discussed regional developments and their security implications. During that meeting, Wadephul expressed Germany’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia and stressed the importance of coordinated regional and international efforts aimed at stability and peace.
The signing of the new memorandum in Berlin gives those continuing contacts a more formal framework.
A broader framework for Saudi-German relations
The memorandum signed in Berlin provides Saudi Arabia and Germany with a formal mechanism for continued dialogue between their foreign ministries. Rather than being limited to a single area of cooperation, the agreement covers strategic consultation and coordination and is intended to support the development of bilateral relations across different fields. The discussions surrounding the signing also showed the breadth of the relationship, with political, economic, trade, investment and regional security issues all featuring in the talks.
For Riyadh and Berlin, the new strategic dialogue creates an additional platform for discussing issues of shared interest and coordinating positions as regional and international developments continue to evolve. The Berlin meeting was attended by a number of officials from both sides.
