Saudi Arabia provides Ukraine with significant support during the war against the russian federation. The country is actively mediating in resolving the conflict between Ukraine and russia. In particular, in September 2023, the Kingdom hosted a meeting of national security advisers and representatives of more than 40 countries and international organizations aimed at finding ways to end the war.

The KSA participates in international discussions on ways to end the war in Ukraine, providing a platform for negotiations with the participation of representatives of many countries. At the same time, Riyadh provides a platform for negotiations on the exchange of prisoners of war between Ukraine and russia, demonstrating its role as a neutral mediator.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has provided Ukraine with an aid package worth $400 million, including $100 million in humanitarian aid and $300 million in oil products from the Saudi government through the Saudi Fund for Development. The Kingdom also sent 168 tons of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including medicines, food and other essential goods.

In February 2024, Riyadh hosted the World Defense Show 2024, an international defense exhibition attended by 773 companies from over 45 countries. Ukraine was represented by the Luch Design Bureau and the National Association of Ukrainian Defense Industries (NAUDI). This exhibition has become a platform to showcase opportunities for investors in both the military and civilian sectors.

In 2023, foreign trade between Ukraine and Saudi Arabia continued to develop despite the challenges of war and economic instability. The main area of cooperation is the agricultural sector, in particular the export of Ukrainian agricultural products to Saudi Arabia. Saudi companies, such as Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Co. (SALIC), maintained a high interest in the Ukrainian agricultural market, investing in agricultural projects and purchasing products.

Despite the difficult geopolitical situation, Saudi Arabia continues to consider Ukraine as a prospective partner for investment in various sectors of the economy, from agriculture to IT. In particular, in 2018, SALIC acquired the Ukrainian agricultural holding “Mriya”, which became the largest contract in the agricultural sector of Ukraine.

In general, in 2023, economic cooperation between Ukraine and Saudi Arabia continued, although trade volumes decreased compared to pre-war levels. The two countries continued to work on establishing closer economic ties and seeking new opportunities for cooperation. Perspective areas for Ukrainian-Saudi cooperation include energy (oil and gas, renewable energy sources and their development), construction (infrastructure projects), transport (air, sea, urban), water management (housing and utilities), and mechanical engineering.

For Dnipropetrovsk region, Saudi Arabia also remains an important trading partner. The growing level of partnerships is evidenced by the bilateral analysis of foreign activities.

Saudi enterprises are most interested in ferrous metal products, fats and vegetable oil, railway locomotive parts, grain crops, etc. The volume of exports from Dnipropetrovsk region amounted to $13.6 million. The region’s share of exports to Saudi Arabia is 4.7% of the total Ukrainian figure.

16 companies from Dnipropetrovsk region exported their products to the Saudi market, including metallurgical, food, agricultural and machine-building companies.

Top 5 companies in terms of exported products are the following:

In turn, 32 importing companies in the region bought Saudi goods most of all, namely plastics and polymeric materials, oil and its distillation products, tanning extracts, organic chemical compounds, and more. Imports of goods from the KSA to Dnipropetrovsk region decreased by 6.6% and amounted to $17.3 million. The region’s share is 5.1% of Ukraine’s total imports from Saudi Arabia.

Top 5 importers in terms of imported products are the following companies:

Import operations were mainly carried out by chemical and processing companies and trade enterprises.

Source: information for the article was taken from open online sources