Changes from plenary report to adopted text

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 18 May 2022 on a strategic partnership with the Gulf (JOIN(2022)0013), and to the Council conclusions of 20 June 2022 thereon,

– having regard to the Council mandate for opening negotiations for individual Strategic Partnership Agreements (SPAs) with the countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)) and respectively the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates,

– having regard to the joint statement from the first EU-GCC summit of 16 October 2024,

– having regard to the joint statement from the 29th Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting between the GCC and the EU of 6 October 2025,

– having regard to the recommendation for a Council decision concerning new negotiating directives for a regional Free Trade Agreement and for bilateral Free Trade Agreements with the countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf and respectively the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of the United Arab Emirates (COM(2025)0194),

– having regard to the cooperation arrangement between the European External Action Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, signed on 3 October 2021,

– having regard to the fourth EU-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Human Rights Dialogue, held in Riyadh on 20 December 2024,

– having regard to the EU global human rights sanctions regime, established in December 2020,

– having regard to the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders, adopted in 2004 and revised in 2008,

– having regard to the report of the UN Group of Experts on Geographical Names of 8 April 2025 on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (2025/169/CRP.169),

– having regard to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women of 18 December 1979,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A10-0230/2025),

A. whereas Saudi Arabia is a key bilateral and regional partner for the EU; whereas it is important to deepen this cooperation towards a strategic partnership that aims to strengthen bilateral relations and promote cooperation in various sectors, including defence, culture and innovation, but above all energy;

B. whereas Saudi Arabia is the EU’s 17th-largest trading partner globally, and the EU is Saudi Arabia’s largest foreign investor;

C. whereas, over the last decade, Saudi Arabia and China have deepened their ties in the framework of Saudi Arabia’s ‘Vision 2030’ project, and Saudi Arabia has become the largest recipient of China’s Belt and Road Initiative investments, including investments in strategic infrastructure such as ports and digital networks; whereas China has been the main purchaser of Saudi crude oil since 2019; whereas Saudi Arabia and China enhanced cooperation in the areas of foreign policy, security, energy, trade and technology through the establishment of a High-Level Joint Committee (HLJC), as well as subcommittees, in 2016;

D. whereas Saudi Arabia is strengthening its relations with India, notably through the project entitled the ‘India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor’ (IMEC), which aims to improve connectivity between Asia and Europe through the Arabian peninsula;

E. whereas Saudi Arabia is further consolidating its status as a trusted regional mediator and key global actor, and it is crucial that it does so in full adherence to and promotion of human rights and international law;

F. whereas there is an ongoing case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v Israel), filed by South Africa on 29 December 2023;

G. whereas Saudi Arabia is enhancing dialogue and cooperation with the EU on human rights;

H. whereas promoting respect for human rights and international law in foreign policy, including trade, is a treaty obligation for the EU, enshrined in Articles 3 and 21 of the Treaty on European Union;

I. whereas the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has, in its October 2024 findings on Saudi Arabia, expressed concerns regarding entrenched discriminatory practices, harassment of female activists and the broader impact of punitive measures, including the use of the death penalty;

J. whereas the next EU-GCC summit, set to take place in Riyadh in 2026, will be key to further broadening the scope of EU-Saudi Arabian relations and enhancing cooperation on crucial issues of mutual interest;

EU-Saudi Arabia bilateral relations

1. Highlights the positive engagement between the EU and the GCC, as two of the leading actors in the enlarged Mediterranean, during the first EU-GCC summit in 2024; affirms that the EU aims to boost bilateral ties with each GCC country through SPAs that would address the current lack of a legally binding framework for bilateral relations between the EU and Saudi Arabia, unlocking the potential for areas of deeper and broader cooperation, such as foreign and security policy, justice and law enforcement, trade and investment, energy and climate, digital transformation, environment, research and innovation, artificial intelligence, connectivity, digital governance, education, culture, research, youth and people-to-people contact, and for securing human rights and labour rights reforms in GCC countries;

2. Welcomes the alignment and cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the EU in the field of foreign and security policy;

3. Underlines the potential for further EU-Saudi Arabia economic collaboration in the area of sustainable energy, critical raw materials, information technology and entrepreneurship, noting that economic cooperation between the EU and Saudi Arabia is the cornerstone of the bilateral relationship; calls for increased EU-Saudi Arabian cooperation in these areas; supports Saudi Arabia’s compliance with EU legislation on due diligence when engaging in economic or business deals involving companies owned by or affiliated with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund;

4. Stresses that deepening EU-Saudi Arabian cooperation in energy and trade should enhance the EU’s strategic autonomy by diversifying, in the short term, reliable energy supply sources; underlines that while Saudi Arabia remains a key global actor in fossil energy markets, it has also embarked on a path of diversification and sustainability, with investments in renewable energy, notably large-scale solar and hydrogen projects; notes that Saudi Arabia now ranks among the world’s top 10 energy storage markets, further advancing its leadership in renewable energy; highlights that harnessing Saudi Arabia’s vast solar energy potential, together with the EU’s advanced renewable technologies, can enable joint initiatives in green hydrogen, sustainable fuels and next-generation energy infrastructure;

5. Reaffirms that the EU is committed to supporting Saudi Arabia’s pursuit of socio-economic diversification and reform, including the promotion of sustainable development;

7. Calls for the EU to further facilitate regulatory cooperation, which will aid Saudi Arabia’s efforts to establish rules and procedures for successful energy diversification and socio-economic reform; encourages stronger partnerships between EU and Saudi Arabian educational and research entities, including via programmes such as Erasmus Mundus and Horizon Europe; stresses the importance of creating the necessary conditions for increased student mobility; highlights how enhancing exchange opportunities for young people will significantly contribute to consolidating the relationship between the EU, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region as a whole;

Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy priorities and opportunities for the EU

8. Stresses Saudi Arabia’s growing importance as a diplomatic actor and its significant contributions to regional and global stability, particularly in the context of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, as well as with regard to recent developments in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, the Red Sea and Sudan;

9. Calls for stronger foreign and security cooperation in the light of regional escalations; highlights that both the joint communication on a strategic partnership with the Gulf and the future SPA have called for stronger political and security cooperation; stresses that such cooperation must be based on a shared commitment to respect international law, including human rights, international humanitarian law and the UN Charter; expresses its support for the Council’s July 2025 decision authorising the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to commence negotiations on the establishment of an SPA with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; recognises that this initiative represents a pivotal opportunity to advance the EU’s strategic interests, foster regional stability, and enhance cooperation in the areas of energy and security; calls for strong and active engagement by both parties throughout the negotiation process, with a view to ensuring its swift and timely conclusion; stresses that the EU’s enhanced cooperation with Saudi Arabia should also serve to strengthen shared commitments to peace and stability, and to safeguard the multilateral rules-based system;

10. Highlights the important diplomatic role of Saudi Arabia, notably in supporting de-escalation in Yemen, strengthening maritime security in the Red Sea, hosting talks on Ukraine and facilitating dialogue on Sudan, thereby contributing constructively to regional and international stability;

11. Calls on Saudi Arabia to continue EU-Saudi Arabian cooperation on counterterrorism and the prevention of radicalisation, which must be conducted in line with international human rights standards; stresses the importance of far-reaching EU-Saudi Arabia alignment in these fields;

13. Acknowledges the efforts made by Saudi Arabia and certain other Arab States to normalise diplomatic relations with Israel under the 2020 Abraham Accords; calls for the EU to support initiatives aimed at building broad regional and international backing for a better future in Arab-Israeli relations within the EU framework of the accepted two-state solution, in order to promote regional stability;

14. Commends Saudi Arabia’s substantial diplomatic and financial outreach to Syria, including through regional consultations, as well as broader stabilisation and reconstruction efforts; calls on Saudi Arabia and its partners in the region to assist the transitional Syrian Government in establishing a durable and inclusive political and security architecture; stresses the importance of preserving Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the participation and protection of Syria’s minorities; calls for enhanced cooperation between the EU and Saudi Arabia to work towards a peaceful and inclusive transition in Syria and to protect Christians and all communities in Syria, guaranteeing their safety and religious freedom, as well as the protection of their cultural heritage;

15. Reaffirms the EU’s support for Lebanon’s political and socio-economic reconstruction and highlights the importance of EU-Saudi Arabian cooperation in implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006), supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces; welcomes the efforts by the Lebanese Government and calls for Hezbollah’s disarmament; reiterates the importance for all the countries of the region to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while calling on all parties to safeguard the peacekeepers of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL);

16. Recognises Saudi Arabia’s constructive role amid current regional tensions, increased cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and gradual diplomatic normalisation with Iran; highlights EU-Saudi Arabian alignment in containing Iranian proxies and halting the further development of Iran’s nuclear programme;

17. Highlights the shared EU-Saudi Arabian priority of establishing lasting peace in Yemen and commends Saudi Arabia’s continued commitment to achieving an inclusive political solution in Yemen; calls on Saudi Arabia to support an independent international investigative mechanism into violations of international humanitarian law in Yemen between 2015 and 2022; encourages an increase in EU and Saudi Arabian humanitarian aid to Yemen, and joint efforts by both parties to counteract the targeting of aid workers;

18. Welcomes the UN-brokered talks held in Riyadh in January 2025 for establishing a roadmap for inclusive peace in Yemen, which yielded progress on Houthi disarmament timelines; notes that these remain contingent on Saudi Arabian economic assistance;

19. Stresses the EU’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the protection of maritime routes and international navigational rights in the Red Sea; highlights Saudi Arabia’s commitment to maritime security and calls for closer political and intelligence cooperation with the EU’s Naval Force Operation Aspides, and with EU Member States more broadly;

20. Welcomes Saudi Arabia’s involvement in hosting the Ukraine war ceasefire negotiations; urges Saudi Arabia to cooperate more closely with its partners in supporting sanctions against the Russian Federation and to take measures to help put an end to the activities of the Russian shadow fleet;

21. Notes Saudi Arabia’s USD 600 billion commitment to invest in the United States, including a defence agreement and strategic cooperation on emerging technologies;

22. Recognises Saudi Arabia’s role in fostering multilateral cooperation, including through its growing engagement in Africa, in particular the Sahel, and in Asia; calls for closer EU-Saudi Arabian coordination on energy cooperation, cross-regional infrastructure development, capacity building, human capital development, financial instruments and investment mechanisms across the African continent; stresses the importance of integrating Saudi Arabia-led projects with EU frameworks, including the Global Gateway initiative;

23. Notes that Saudi Arabia has been formally invited to become a member of the BRICS group of countries; notes that Saudi Arabia’s outreach to BRICS reflects a trend towards diversified alliances; calls for the EU to engage constructively with Saudi Arabia in multilateral forums to protect mutual trade and investment interests;

24. Notes the strengthening of bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, particularly in the fields of security and defence; calls on Saudi Arabia to use that relationship to persuade Türkiye to make a constructive contribution to the Middle East peace process by recognising Hamas as a terrorist organisation and ending political, economic and logistical support;

25. Welcomes Saudi Arabia’s consistent position vis-à-vis its classification of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation, and calls for the EU and its Member States to follow suit and recognise the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation;