Saudi Arabia and Greece have called for the protection of international shipping routes and closer energy cooperation after talks in Riyadh between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The meeting on 25 October marked 100 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Their joint statement set out a broad programme of intended cooperation across energy, investment, digital connectivity, transport and logistics, while also placing maritime security at the centre of their discussion of energy supplies.
Focus on maritime corridors
The two sides said secure international maritime corridors are vital to the safe and uninterrupted movement of energy supplies to world markets. They expressed concern about attacks on energy infrastructure and the effect such disruption can have on supply availability and market stability.
This was a diplomatic call for the protection of shipping routes, rather than an announcement of a new maritime security operation. The statement did not identify a particular incident, set out a joint patrol arrangement or announce restrictions on navigation. Instead, it linked freedom and security of movement at sea to the continuity of energy supplies and to wider economic stability.
Greece’s role as a major maritime nation featured prominently in the discussions. The two leaders also considered regional developments and the importance of open sea routes for global trade. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, highlighted efforts to maintain supply resilience through alternative export routes, including the East-West Pipeline.
Electricity links and clean hydrogen
Energy cooperation was a central part of the declaration. Saudi Arabia and Greece reaffirmed the importance of their 2022 energy memorandum, which includes the planned Saudi-Greek electricity interconnection. They committed to accelerate cooperation on the project, which is intended to support electricity exchange, strengthen the reliability of connected grids and create a power link between Saudi Arabia and Europe through Greece.
The statement presented the interconnection as an element of a wider ambition to develop cross-border energy links. It did not give a construction start date, a completion date or new financial terms. The commitment therefore concerns further work and cooperation on an existing project, rather than the completion of a new power connection.
The two countries also said they would explore clean-hydrogen exports from Saudi Arabia to Greece and onward to other European demand centres. They identified conventional energy, renewable energy and petrochemicals as further areas for investment and company partnerships. These are areas for exploration and expansion; the declaration did not announce a signed hydrogen supply contract or a new investment award.
Trade and digital links
Economic ties were another strand of the talks. The partners put bilateral trade in 2025 at about $1.7 billion and said they wanted stronger investment links in infrastructure, construction, energy, digital connectivity, logistics and technology. Greek companies were encouraged to examine opportunities in Saudi Arabia, while Saudi companies were invited to consider projects in Greece across energy, transport, logistics, digital infrastructure and advanced technologies.
They also welcomed progress on the East to Med Data Corridor, a subsea cable project intended to improve digital connectivity between East and West. Both sides restated their commitment to completing that project on its agreed timetable. The initiative sits alongside the energy proposals as part of a broader push to use Greece’s position in south-east Europe and Saudi Arabia’s regional connections for infrastructure links between markets.
The meeting also reviewed the Saudi-Hellenic Strategic Partnership Council, established as a framework for continuing bilateral work. Its first meeting took place during a Greek visit to Saudi Arabia in January 2025. The latest declaration commits the two governments to continue through that framework and to pursue priority joint initiatives.
What the declaration changes
The statement brings maritime-route protection, energy cooperation and digital connectivity together in a single political agenda. It signals that both governments see secure shipping and resilient infrastructure as closely connected to their economic relationship.
However, the document mainly records shared priorities and commitments to deepen cooperation. It does not itself deliver electricity capacity, establish an operational maritime arrangement or guarantee future trade and investment. Progress on the interconnection, clean hydrogen, the data corridor and commercial partnerships will depend on later project decisions and agreements.
