Putin's gift spoiled the palace of the Saudi king: The experiences of a falconer and a gyrfalcon during a historic visit. Vladimir Putin held talks with the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, in the Kremlin. The King of Saudi Arabia.

On Thursday, October 5, the King was received at the Kremlin Saudi Arabia. The arrival of Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is significant not only because it is the first visit of the monarch, but also because the negotiations with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (al-Haram Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina) were supposed to dot the i’s in issues related to the oil market and military-technical cooperation. Among the Kremlin gilding, the Saudis, accustomed to luxury, were deciding the fate of a package of arms contracts worth over three billion dollars. And the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, who was celebrating his birthday, photographed with interest the place for the throne in St. Andrew's Hall.

Kings can do anything

Muscovites could learn about the king's upcoming visit not only from the news. At the beginning of October, the Russian-Suad Investment Fund placed posters on the highway from Vnukovo Airport with greetings to “The Custodian of the Two Islamic Shrines, His Majesty the King of Saudi Arabia.” The delegation, numbering almost a thousand people, rented all the luxury rooms in the most expensive hotels in the Russian capital. In an effort to please guests accustomed to oriental luxury, the furniture in the rooms was changed, carpets were laid and low trestle beds were placed. The king himself stayed at the Four Seasons. The hotel chain is partly owned by his nephew, Prince Alwaleed.

There are legends about how the king and his retinue travel. The amount of luggage carried is especially impressive - hundreds of tons are counted. Airplanes transport equipment, cars, elevators and even an escalator, the length of which when folded is 15 meters. That's where the trouble started with him. The technical specialists who arrived as part of the delegation independently collected this royal know-how. But something went wrong on Russian soil. The 81-year-old monarch stepped onto the escalator, traveled a third of the way, and the ramp jammed. The elderly king, leaning on a stick, barely climbed several steps on his own.

There were no glitches in the Kremlin. Since a state visit - the highest level possible - involves a magnificent welcoming ceremony, taking into account the age of the monarch, it was nevertheless reduced. According to tradition, the delegations of the two countries lined up along St. Andrew's Hall. In this ceremonial room of the Grand Kremlin Palace, restored in the 90s, a place for the throne is also designated. More precisely, a throne with replicas of the royal chairs. It was in this direction that Vladimir Putin led his guest, circling the arches of the hall with his hands and telling something with the help of translators.

When the king and president left the hall, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, approached the throne. He stood out general background with his paramilitary outfit - a dark green jacket. Left alone for a few moments, Kadyrov took out his phone and photographed the place for the throne. And then he posed for his Instagram with the leaders of Ingushetia and Tatarstan. All three represented the Muslim part of the Russian Federation.

Arab journalists, meanwhile, warned their Russian colleagues against a mistake: the name of their king should have been pronounced in full and only in full. “In short, no way! Only Salman bin Abdulaziz!” - One of the guests spoke in excellent Russian, raising his voice with respect.

We waited ten years

Relations between Moscow and Riyadh have not always been smooth sailing. The first official visit of Saudi Arabian representatives to Moscow after the collapse of the USSR took place in 2003. For the current king, who took the throne in 2015, this is the first visit in a new capacity, but he has already been to Moscow in 2006, when he was the ruler of Riyadh.

But Vladimir Putin visited this Arab country only once - ten years ago, but remembers that trip with warmth. He was greeted royally, with a cannon salute and a cavalry escort. The monarch put the entire palace at the guest's disposal and generously invited him to change the schedule of the visit at his discretion. The road in front of Putin was strewn with rose petals, and the dancers spectacularly presented a dagger (one can imagine what the president’s personal security went through at that moment). The outfits of Russian journalists added color - they had to wear hijabs.

Just a few years before that visit, Russia accused Saudi Arabia of financially supporting Chechen terrorists. Riyadh expressed dissatisfaction with Moscow's attitude towards its country's Muslims. But in the name of the joint fight against terrorism, the parties entered into a dialogue. Then Putin left the kingdom with the kingdom's highest award - the Order of Abdul Aziz. Finally, he invited the then King Abdullah, the half-brother of the current ruler, to make a return visit to Moscow. The visit had to wait ten years - Riyadh preferred to look towards Washington.

Kalashnikov and wheat

Before Salman Bin Abdel Aziz's visit, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that the leaders' meeting would be "a turning point in relations and will take cooperation to a new level, ensuring a fruitful contribution to stability in the Middle East and North Africa." Sources working in this area told the Kommersant newspaper that Moscow really has high expectations, especially in terms of military-technical cooperation.

According to the publication’s interlocutors, the Russian side has prepared a package of arms contracts worth over three billion dollars, including for the supply of several divisions of S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile systems. For ten years, Moscow has been trying to enter the Riyadh arms market, but it has never reached contracts.

As a result, only an agreement was signed through Rosoboronexport to organize licensed production of AK-103 assault rifles and cartridges for various purposes in the kingdom. Of the 14 documents certified by the delegations, one can highlight an agreement on research and cooperation in outer space and a program in the field of atomic energy use. Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture agreed on the supply of Russian wheat to Saudi Arabia, although the export of Russian barley already accounts for almost half of the bilateral trade turnover worth more than $200 million.

Salman bin Abdul Al Saud positively assessed Russia's efforts to resolve the situation in Syria. And he did not fail to prick Iran. “We emphasize that the security and stability of the Gulf region and the Middle East will require Iran to renounce interference in the internal affairs of states and renounce activities to destabilize the situation in this region,” the king said slowly, checking the papers covered in large print. Adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, he noted that relations between Moscow and Riyadh, in his assessment, are “characterized by a coincidence of views on many regional and international problems.”

“It was a friendly, detailed conversation, based on the mutual desire of Moscow and Riyadh to consistently increase mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas,” Lavrov said following the negotiations. His colleague Adel ibn Ahmed al-Jubeir used stronger language. In his opinion, “relations between the two countries are reaching new horizons that we could not even imagine before.”

Finally, King Salman bin Abdulaziz invited Vladimir Putin to visit. The Russian president accepted the invitation and promised to visit Saudi Arabia again. But he didn’t specify a time frame.

Negotiations between the Russian President and the King of Saudi Arabia took place in the Kremlin. The leaders discussed all issues - from the economy to the situation in the Middle East. King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud invited Vladimir Putin to come on a return visit and the invitation was accepted.

This is the first trip of the head of the kingdom to our country, so the state visit can be called, without exaggeration, historical. Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud arrived in Moscow the day before.

Vladimir Putin met with the Saudi monarch in November 2015 on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Antalya; this year the leaders spoke twice by phone. And in 2007, Putin visited the kingdom. King Salman came to power in January 2015, and the Russian president recently spoke with his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in St. Petersburg in May.

After the solemn welcoming ceremony, the leaders talked in various formats, took part in the signing ceremony of documents, after which they were treated to a state dinner in honor of the high-ranking guest.

“Thank you very much for accepting our invitation and coming for a visit. This is the first visit of the King of Saudi Arabia to Russia in the history of our relations, and this in itself is a significant event,” the Russian leader greeted the guest in the Kremlin. “Our relations have quite a long history,” he noted. “In 1926, 90 years ago, even more, our country, then the Soviet Union, was the first state to recognize the newly formed kingdom.”

“We are happy to be in your friendly country. We strive to strengthen bilateral relations in the interests of peace and security, in the interests of developing the world economy,” the king said and remembered that he had already been to Russia, but a very long time ago.

The Russian-Saudi investment forum and days of Saudi culture were timed to coincide with the visit. At Vnukovo airport, the monarch was greeted by posters with his portrait and greetings from the Russian-Saudi Investment Fund in Russian and Arabic. A large delegation from the kingdom arrived: five-star hotels in the Kremlin and Red Square area are occupied in the capital. Moreover, as reported, in many rooms the furnishings were given an oriental character, and for some, their favorite carpets were even brought from their homeland.

“We talked about bilateral relations and the situation in the region,” Putin noted at the meeting in expanded format. “It was a very meaningful conversation, very substantive and very confidential,” he assessed.

King Salman thanked for the warm welcome and hospitality. “We appreciate the warm feelings expressed in your speech towards our country,” he said and noted the coincidence of views on many regional and international problems. “Coordination between us continues in everything that contributes to strengthening the security and prosperity of our states, in everything that serves the cause of international peace and security,” the Saudi monarch said.

"We strive to continue positive cooperation between our countries to achieve stability in the global oil markets, which contributes to the growth of the global economy,” said King Salman. “We are fully convinced that there are great opportunities to expand and diversify the base of economic cooperation between our countries,” he is confident.

The Saudi monarch called for increased efforts to combat extremism, terrorism and its sources of financing. “The Kingdom called for the creation of an international center to combat terrorism under the auspices of the UN and allocated $110 million to finance this center,” he said. Saudi Arabia has created a military coalition, which includes 41 Islamic states, and initiated the creation of a world center in Riyadh to combat extremist ideas.

The Saudi monarch also called on Iran to refuse to interfere in the internal affairs of the states of the region, to abandon actions to destabilize the situation and emphasized the importance of a political solution to the Yemen crisis.

“With regard to the Syrian crisis, we are called upon to seek its end in accordance with the decisions of Geneva 1 and UN Security Council Resolution 2254, to find a political solution that would guarantee the achievement of security, stability and the preservation of the unity and territorial integrity of Syria,” King Salman said. "We call on the international community to take responsibility when it comes to the problems of the Rohingya Muslims and find a solution that protects them from the violence and abuses they are subjected to and puts an end to their suffering," he also said. “We also emphasize the importance of preserving the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq and uniting the internal front to fight terrorism,” the Saudi monarch concluded. At the end of his speech, he invited Putin to visit the kingdom. “I remember my previous trip to your country and will definitely take advantage of your invitation to visit Saudi Arabia again,” the Russian leader thanked.

After negotiations, in the presence of the leaders, a significant package of documents was signed - 14 agreements: in the field of space, communications, nuclear energy, social protection, culture, agriculture, oil refining, a road map for trade, economic and scientific and technical cooperation. And also - a memorandum on the purchase and localization of production of military products, a contract concerning the organization of licensed production in the kingdom of Kalashnikov assault rifles and cartridges for various purposes. Another important document is the agreement on the creation of an energy investment fund and an investment fund in the field of high technologies with a volume of one billion dollars each. Serious agreements have been reached in the field of military-technical cooperation. As Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated following the negotiations, the first meeting of the new commission on military-technical cooperation between Russia and Saudi Arabia will be held before the end of the year. “The leaders of our countries welcomed the creation of another commission, a commission on military-technical cooperation, which should hold its first meeting before the end of this year,” Lavrov said. “We are confident that the solid package of documents signed today not only creates the necessary legal framework for further cooperation and its deepening, but also allows us to bring the Russian-Saudi partnership to a new qualitative level,” said the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Moscow and Riyadh agree that the fight against terrorism should be a priority in Syria. “When considering all the problems of this region, a common understanding of the priority of a decisive fight against terrorism has once again emerged,” Lavrov said. According to him, “this is the purpose of the initiative, which Russian Federation, and Saudi Arabia is being promoted at the UN and in the international arena in general."

“Of course, it is clear that the fight against terrorism implies decisive opposition to extremist ideology. We familiarized our Saudi colleagues with the relevant approaches that are currently being considered in the UN Security Council,” the Russian Foreign Minister noted.

Dossier "RG"

Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is the King of Saudi Arabia, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and head of the Al Saud dynasty. As reported on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of this country, he became king and prime minister on January 23, 2015 after the death of his half-brother, King Abdullah. Salman, the son of the first King of Saudi Arabia, Abdul Aziz ibn Saud, and the sixth of the Sudairi Seven, was King Fahd's most trusted advisor and closest brother to Crown Prince Sultan. From 1963 to 2011, he served as governor of the province of Riyadh, and then as minister of defense.

The king's personal life is not public, but unofficially, according to media reports, he was married three times, had ten sons (two of whom died) and one daughter. One of his sons, Sultan Ibn Salman, is an astronaut who flew on the space shuttle Discovery in 1985 and became the first Arab and the first royal to travel in outer space. According to the American television channel CNN, at the age of 10 His Majesty memorized the Koran. King Salman was hailed as "Islam's Person of the Year" in 2017 for his services to the Muslim world and "for his efforts to restore peace and security to the planet." It was his reign that became significant in terms of women's rights in Saudi Arabia - they received the right to drive a car, and the country's Foreign Ministry assured on its Twitter account that this was just the beginning. Many places and institutions in Saudi Arabia are named after King Salman - from a stadium in the city of Al-Majma to a park in Riyadh.

King Salman is known for always traveling with a very large retinue. For example, in 2015, he vacationed on the French Riviera with about a thousand relatives and friends, as well as people working for the royal family, for whom 400 luxury cars were rented. The British BBC reported that a throne was delivered to the king's estate on the coast, and to make it more convenient for him to go down to the sea, before his arrival, an elevator was built from the building directly to the sandy beach. Another example is that in the spring of 2017, the king visited several Asian countries. According to the portal asiaone.com, he was accompanied by one and a half thousand people, including 10 ministers and 25 princes. Such a large delegation traveled on six Boeing aircraft and one Hercules.

One of the topics that should be discussed during the meetings of the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, with the top leadership of the Russian Federation is called military-technical. If the largest and richest country The Middle East will begin to buy Russian weapons, this will be a real breakthrough.

Meanwhile, Russia and Saudi Arabia have already signed a preliminary agreement in the field of military-technical cooperation worth $3.5 billion. The list of military equipment that will be supplied to Riyadh is currently being agreed upon.

Saudis usually do not skimp and pay good price for military items. It is not surprising that there is a real struggle for the opportunity to supply Riyadh with various weapons and ammunition. The Americans are in the lead, constantly pushing back their European NATO colleagues.

However, in recent years Riyadh actively hinted that fundamental changes could occur in the purchase of weapons with a reorientation towards Russia. Indeed, at all military-technical exhibitions held in Abu Dhabi, representatives of Saudi Arabia very carefully became acquainted with the exhibits presented by Rosoboronexport. In turn, official representatives of Rosoboronexport have been actively working on Saudi Arabia over the past ten years. Five years ago, a $20 billion contract was even discussed. Protocols of intent were signed. And although it never came to firm contracts, the Americans were alarmed. They did not want to lose their monopoly on the richest buyer in the Middle East. Washington made serious financial concessions, accepted many of the conditions put forward by Riyadh, and pushed through a contract for the purchase of American weapons worth $110 billion. It was signed in May of this year.

Nevertheless, in the summer, Riyadh and Moscow entered into a preliminary agreement in the field of military-technical cooperation worth $3.5 billion. And back in 2015, under an intergovernmental agreement, a commission on military-technical cooperation between Russia and Saudi Arabia was formed. However, she never intended to. Now, according to the head Federal service according to Dmitry Shugaev’s military-technical cooperation, the commission may well begin its practical work. Its first meeting should take place before the end of the year.

What would Saudi Arabia like to buy from Russia and what are we ready to supply to the armed forces of this country?

In fact, they are interested in almost the entire range of Russian defense products, with the exception of naval ones. First of all, these are Mi-35M, Mi-28N and Ka-52 combat helicopters. There is high interest in armored vehicles - T-90SM and BMP-3 tanks and various systems volley fire. Particular attention has always been paid to the Antey-250 and S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile systems. The head of Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, stated in one of his interviews that the Saudis constantly ask about the Iskander-E operational-tactical complex. But this complex is still prohibited for export. Nevertheless, it is almost in first place in the requests not only of Saudi Arabia, but also of many other countries.

According to experts, if the military-technical contract with Riyadh begins to be implemented, the most expensive will be the supply of S-400 Triumph. The issue of building a plant for the production of small arms of the Kalashnikov concern is being considered. Assault rifles of various AK series have long been in service with the kingdom's police services. The supply of Russian armored vehicles is quite likely. The Saudi military has more than once expressed its negative attitude towards the American Abrams tank and was very interested in our T-90SM.

Of course, 3.5 billion dollars is difficult to compare with 110 billion, but, as they say, the worst is the beginning. The cost of our entry into the Saudi Arabian arms market will ultimately be measured not only and not even so much by money.

However, the king’s visit did not take place either in 2015 or 2016. This year, preparations for it began again; preparations entered the active phase in September, when a Saudi delegation led by the Kingdom’s Minister of Information Awad bin Saleh al-Awad visited Moscow.

Many years of efforts culminated in a solemn meeting of the king in Vnukovo and on October 5 in the Kremlin, where negotiations with Vladimir Putin took place. On October 6, the king will meet with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

The time has come

The meeting of the leaders will be a “turning point” in relations and will take cooperation to a new level that will “provide a fruitful contribution to stability in the Middle East and North Africa,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. His Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir called Al Saud's visit to Moscow a "historic event."

Until 1990, there were virtually no contacts between Moscow and Riyadh; they were revived by the first crisis in the Persian Gulf between Iraq and Kuwait, but they again faded during the conflict in Chechnya. Moscow has repeatedly expressed indignation that the monarchy Persian Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, support extremists in the North Caucasus, recalls Marianna Belenkaya in a review for the Carnegie Center.

After the intensification of relations in 2007, a decline began again - due to the events of the “Arab Spring”: Saudi Arabia and Qatar supported the change of regimes friendly to Russia (in Egypt, Libya, Syria). In the Syrian conflict, the monarchy sided with the rebels, starting to arm them and demanding the speedy resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The High Negotiating Committee has been based in Riyadh since 2011. Syrian opposition. After negotiations at top level In June 2015, relations again hit a low point following the start of the Russian operation in Syria in September of that year. Riyadh condemned Russian interference.

By September of this year, the situation in Syria had changed dramatically. “ISIS (banned in Russia) has been practically defeated, and the time has come to agree on the future of Syria,” says expert, associate professor of the Department of Oriental Studies at MGIMO University of the Russian Foreign Ministry Nikolai Surkov. Saudi Arabia wants to maintain its position in the region, so it is interested in negotiations with Moscow.

Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Photo: Sergey Karpukhin / Reuters)

The official explanation for the rapprochement between the countries was given to journalists in September by al-Awad: Saudi Arabia is seeking to diversify its foreign policy and foreign economic relations, this is necessary for the implementation of the strategic development program “Vision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: 2030”. Russia as a partner in this program is receiving increased attention, he said. The kingdom's main strategic partner is Washington. The volume of trade between the countries in 2016 amounted to $142 billion (according to the Kingdom's Ministry of Trade). Riyadh realized that it cannot rely only on the United States, especially since American politicians have more than once criticized the country for insufficiently fighting terrorism, notes Nourhan El-Sheikh, professor of political science at Cairo University and an expert at the Valdai Club. Without Russia, it is now impossible to solve the problems of the Middle East; the Saudis also have an internal interest - the country needs technology, trying to reduce dependence on oil, El-Sheikh lists.

Another reason is the mutual interest in maintaining high oil prices (the countries collectively provide 25% of world oil production). The agreement to reduce oil production between OPEC and non-OPEC countries, signed at the end of last year with the active participation of Russia and Saudi Arabia, brought additional revenue to the Russian budget in the amount of 700 billion to 1 trillion rubles, said Energy Minister Alexander Novak. In Saudi Arabia, oil revenues account for 87% of budget revenues and 42% of GDP.

“This visit suggests that the Saudis have psychologically matured to understand the need to build relations with Russia on a more comprehensive basis,” says Maxim Suchkov, an expert at the Russian International Affairs Council. According to him, the monarchy was prompted to do this by deep regional problems with its neighbors, including Qatar and Iran, as well as dissatisfaction with traditional Western allies.

Friendly attitude

The atmosphere at the negotiations in the Kremlin, as follows from the words of Putin and the king, was the best. Putin called the conversation meaningful, substantive and confidential. The king repeated several times that he was glad to be in a “friendly country” with which his country shared views “on many regional and international problems.” He listed some of them. ​Saudi Arabia, he said, favors the creation of an independent Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem, the king said. Putin previously said that Russia supports the same option.

Speaking about Syria, the king called for compliance with the settlement agreements concluded in Geneva, which are also supported by Russia. The king did not ignore the situation of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, calling for a reduction in their suffering. On October 3, Putin also expressed concern about the situation in this country. The positions of Russia and Saudi Arabia also coincide on the issue of Iraqi Kurdistan, where a referendum on secession from Iraq was held on September 25. Both countries support the territorial integrity of Iraq.

The only point of divergence, as follows from the king’s statement, is Iran. ​Stability in the Middle East is impossible without Iran’s refusal “to interfere in the internal affairs of the states of the region, renunciation of activities to destabilize the situation in this region,” the king said in the Kremlin. The confrontation between Riyadh and Tehran has been going on for decades; there is also a religious factor in it: Saudi Arabia is a Sunni state, and its king keeps the main Muslim shrines, Iran is Shiite. Riyadh believes that Tehran is interfering in the affairs of Syria, Qatar, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon. Russia has never criticized Iran for these actions.

The goal of Saudi Arabia is to move Moscow as far as possible from Iran, whose position is strengthening in Syria, says Nikolai Surkov. Moscow, if it wants to develop relations with Riyadh, will have to convince Iran that the main thing is to resolve the situation in Syria, and not to keep President Bashar al-Assad at the head of the country, and also to reduce the role of the Shiite group Hezbollah in Syria, says Grigory Kosach, professor of the Department of Modern Oriental Studies of the Faculty of History, Political Science and Law of the Russian State University for the Humanities.

Results of the first day

The parties acknowledged that the level of relations does not correspond to their potential. According to the Ministry economic development Russian Federation, trade turnover between countries in the first half of the year amounted to $430 million (increased by 30% compared to the same period last year). The implementation of agreements concluded at the first Russian-Saudi investment forum, held on October 5 in Moscow, can increase trade turnover (see inset). The countries also decided to expand cooperation in the military-technical sphere - a commission on military-technical cooperation will be created, which will hold its first meeting before the end of the year, Lavrov said following the negotiations.

Arabic TV channels Al-Arabiya and Sky News Arabia on October 5 reported that Saudi Arabia had agreed to buy Russian S-400 systems as if it was a done deal. Kommersant wrote that such a deal is being prepared. Information that an agreement has been reached between Russia and Saudi Arabia for the supply of S-400 to the Almaz-Antey concern (manufacturer of missile defense systems). According to him, a year ago no one expected that Russia would have such a contract.

The huge delegation accompanying the king, especially investors and businessmen, shows a genuine intention to develop mutual cooperation, says Nourhan El-Sheikh. However, Grigory Kosach is inclined to express “cautious optimism” about the possible results of the king’s visit. The expert admits that irritating factors may once again appear that will again spoil relations between the two countries: “in the end, the problem of Iran has not gone away, the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is an issue dividing Moscow and Riyadh.” ​

​Saudi billions

Together with the king, representatives of about 100 companies came to Russia, including the world's largest oil company in terms of reserves and production, Saudi Aramco, the petrochemical company Sabic, and private oil service companies.

Saudi Aramco has agreed on cooperation with Gazprom Neft and Sibur; on October 6, the company will discuss cooperation with Rosneft. With Gazprom Neft, the Arab company plans to develop production technologies, and also, possibly, work in research and development. The next step could be joint development of fields, said Gazprom Neft CEO Alexander Dyukov.

Saudi Aramco has agreed with Sibur and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) on cooperation in oil refining and petrochemicals. The companies plan to invest about $1.1 billion in a gas chemical project in Saudi Arabia, Alexander Novak said in an interview with the Financial Times. Sibur does not comment on the details of the agreement.

Saudi Aramco is also considering the possibility of buying Russian LNG and participating in Russian LNG projects, company head Amin Nasser told reporters. The Saudi company is also interested in cooperating with Russian partners in trading and oilfield services. In particular, Russia and Saudi Arabia are investing $150 million in the Russian drilling company Eurasia Drilling Company, said Alexander Novak. Investments in oil services will allow Russian players to receive contracts in the kingdom, explained RDIF head Kirill Dmitriev. Saudi Aramco also plans to cooperate with LUKOIL’s trading subsidiary, Litasco.

In addition, RDIF, Saudi Aramco and Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund Public Investment Fund (PIF) agreed to invest $1 billion in the energy sector, and PIF and RDIF plan to invest another $1 billion in the technology sector, the companies reported.

Moscow prepared thoroughly for the visit of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Saudi businessmen hung welcome posters on the way from the airport with the image of the guardian monarch, as his official title indicates, of two Islamic shrines (the Holy Mosque al-Haram in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina). And the Russian president, speaking at the Energy Forum the day before, assured the Saudi authorities that they, like other countries in the Middle East, can count on an honest dialogue and a predictable policy from Moscow. “Our advantage is that we never play a double game with anyone and if there are disagreements, we talk about it directly,” Putin emphasized.

Numerous already from the beginning of the week. The guests brought with them 450 tons of luggage and paid not only for accommodation, but also for a change of scenery. At their request, the hotel rooms received interior items familiar to the East - in particular, low trestle beds instead of ordinary armchairs and chairs.

In total, about a thousand people came with the King of Saudi Arabia - relatives, servants, security, technical personnel, doctors and officials. Saudi businessmen took an active part in the Russian Energy Week, where the prospects for extending the deal to reduce oil production within OPEC+ were discussed. And the household, not burdened with worries, strolled through the boutiques of famous brands.

The monarch himself arrived in Moscow on Wednesday evening and did not leave the hotel before his trip to the Kremlin: in order to prepare for negotiations with Vladimir Putin, the 81-year-old king, who recently suffered a stroke, needed time to acclimatize - from the dry climate of the desert he found himself in the most the height of Moscow's bad weather.

On the Russian side, the welcoming ceremony for Salman in St. Andrew's Hall was attended not only by Russian ministers, but also by governors who maintain active ties with the Saudis - Rustam Minnikhanov (Tatarstan), Yunusbek Evkurov (Ingushetia), Rustem Khamitov (Bashkiria) and Ramzan Kadyrov (Chechnya) - the latter for some reason (perhaps on the occasion of his own birthday) in ceremonial camouflage and with a gilded symbol of Islam on his chest. From the Arab guests came the tart smell of ambergris, which is part of the men's perfume used in Saudi Arabia.

Out of respect for the age of the monarch, the ceremony took place according to a shortened program, but even these few minutes on his feet were difficult for Salman. For a long time he tried to find a foothold with a stick, looked around lostly, and after the anthems were played, he went in the wrong direction: Vladimir Putin had to gently take him by the sleeve. The New York Times recently wrote that there are persistent rumors in the Saudi establishment about the imminent abdication of the king in favor of his son, 31-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

However, the guest felt quite confident at the negotiating table and, judging by the facial expressions of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, he amazed the Russian delegation with a long and, most importantly, meaningful speech, which is usually not typical for the public part of such events. Putting gold-rimmed glasses on his nose and checking his pre-written talking points, the king said that Saudi Arabia considers Russia a friendly country and intends to develop cooperation in everything that “serves the cause of peace and prosperity.” One of the key areas is oil production. “We strive to continue positive interaction with Russia to achieve stability in global oil markets,” Salman emphasized.

Relations between the two states, according to his assessment, "are characterized by a coincidence of views on many regional and international problems." The monarch said that on the foreign policy track, the Saudis' goal is to put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people, push Iran out of Yemen and other Middle Eastern countries, and also preserve the unity and territorial integrity of Syria and Iraq. In addition, Salman spoke out in support of the Rohingya Muslims: the international community, he said, must find a solution and protect them from violence.

Even before the start of the negotiations, it was known that the Saudi delegation would focus on discussing several key topics - the situation on the oil market, a settlement in Syria and the expansion of Iran into neighboring countries.

IN lately The Saudis have changed their rhetoric: they no longer insist on the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad as an indispensable condition for the start of the political process. In their opinion, he can become a compromise figure during the transition period, which will last at least 6 months, and only after that he will have to “go into the shadows.”

Riyadh is now much more concerned about Qatar and Iran. It is possible that during the negotiations the Kremlin was offered investments in the economy and large contracts in the field of military-technical cooperation (in particular, for the purchase of the S-400 air defense system) in exchange for refusal to cooperate with Iran. However, Vladimir Putin has previously stated that he will not agree to such deals. “This is our neighbor, our long-time partner, we value this and respect Iran’s national interests,” the president said at the Energy Forum, answering a question about the prospects for the withdrawal of Iranian armed forces from Syria after the end of the armed phase of the conflict.

As a result, it was not among the signed documents. For now, military-technical cooperation between the two countries will be limited to Kalashnikov assault rifles and ammunition various purposes, the production of which, according to the document signed following the visit, will be organized in Saudi Arabia.

In addition to Rosoboronexport, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Industry and Trade exchanged agreements with the Saudis. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has agreed with Saudi investors to create two joint funds worth $2 billion - technology and energy. In addition, Saudi Arabia will invest $100 million in the construction of the northern backup of Kutuzovsky Prospekt in Moscow.

In Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where Vladimir Putin arrived on an official visit, he was given a spectacular reception. Those who met the Russian at the airport chanted in Russian: “Welcome!” And the presidential motorcade was accompanied by 16 horses, on which National Guard soldiers sat.

The guards carried the Russian tricolor and the banner of the kingdom. In the royal palace of Al-Yamamah, a brass band played the Russian anthem. Really, very fake. So much so that it was impossible to distinguish where the Russian anthem ended and where the Saudi one ended.

However, this is not surprising; Putin’s previous visit to Saudi Arabia took place in February 2007. There weren’t many reasons to rehearse the anthem, to put it mildly.

Rare visits by leaders nevertheless remained memorable. Twelve years ago, King Abdullah presented Putin with the highest award - the Order of Abdul Aziz. The head of France and one of the Chinese leaders were previously awarded this honor. And, for example, the then US President George W. Bush did not receive such an award, although at that time America and Saudi Arabia were friendly.

This time there was also an exchange of gifts. Putin presented the king with a Kamchatka gyrfalcon, which is trained to hunt birds, and crown prince For Mohammed bin Salman - a product made from mammoth ivory. The Russian President received a painting with Arabic designs as a gift.

Middle Eastern tangle

The kingdom's relations with Moscow were frozen until 1991. It was only after the visit of King Abdullah in 2003 that a warming began. The rapprochement was facilitated by the cooling in relations between Riyadh and Washington after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Concern arose after it became known that 15 of the 19 suicide bombers who carried out terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001 were from the kingdom.

Another reason for restoring friendship between Russia and the kingdom appeared in connection with the American war with Iraq. In Iraq, the positions of Shiite Muslims strengthened, which alarmed the predominantly Sunni kingdom. The Saudis began to seek support from those with whom Washington has traditionally been at odds, that is, Russia.

The current visit, which is already being called long-awaited, also takes place against the backdrop of difficult relations in the US-Russia-Saudi Arabia triangle. Adding to the heat are the contradictions between Syria and Turkey. And also between Saudi Arabia and Iran. And here it is enough to recall the September drone attack on Saudi oil facilities. Because of this, oil production in the kingdom decreased by almost half. The US and Saudi Arabia blamed Iran for the attack. And Putin suggested that the Saudis make a wise decision - to purchase Russian S-300 or S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems. As Türkiye did, for example, by purchasing the S-400 Triumph.

Despite the rich political background, Putin's current visit is unofficially positioned as primarily business. This was obvious, if only because the president’s motorcade in Saudi Arabia consisted of only one car. This was probably the shortest motorcade in the entire 18 years the president was in power.

Putin traveled in a domestically produced Aurus limousine. And this car performed not only representative functions in Riyadh, but also marketing ones. It is expected that the Aurus may be purchased by the Saudi business elite.

In general, Moscow and Riyadh planned to conclude trade agreements worth $2 billion. Moreover, before the visit, the signing of 10 agreements was announced, but in the end 21 documents were signed. Although about half of them are just memorandums of intent.

It’s not a royal thing to hurry

But here it’s a common story - discussing future deals for years. For example, back in June 2014 it became known that the Saudis intend to build 16 nuclear units. The total cost of the work could reach $100 billion.

Since then, Russia, like contract applicants from other countries (USA, France and others), has only received an invitation to the third round of prequalification for the construction of two nuclear power plant units. The very start of construction was postponed from 2018 to 2020. But these deadlines are already in question.

Cooperation along the line did not develop quickly either. It took almost three years to receive Saudi consent to purchase Kalashnikov assault rifles.

One of the more or less specific results is that the Saudi Space Commission signed a memorandum of cooperation in the field of manned space exploration and the development of the global navigation satellite system GLONASS.

The implementation of the memorandum of intent signed on Monday to simplify the visa regime for citizens of the two countries will not require much effort either. But not for everyone. Lightweight customs regime It is planned to introduce it for businessmen for now. The mutual establishment of trade missions is also being prepared.

And the Ministry environment, water resources and agriculture of Saudi Arabia, an agreement was concluded on the mutual expansion of exports of agricultural and food products. The Saudis are not against purchasing grain crops and meat from Russia.

Recapture cutlets from New Zealand

Meat purchases were discussed back in 2017 during the visit of the Saudi king to Moscow at the business council of the two countries. At that time, very interesting figures were cited from the point of view of potential investments - Saudi Arabia was already importing $20 billion worth of meat from Australia and New Zealand. At the same time, delivery of Australian meat by plane takes 12-14 hours, and products from Russia can be delivered in five.

The meat seller will most likely be the Russian company Miratorg - last year the Saudi Arabian Investment Authority allowed it to open a representative office in the kingdom. They also discussed the supply of halal products. Both to the kingdom and to other countries of the Muslim world, to Qatar, the Emirates.

Finally, an agreement was signed on the entry of the Saudi Aramco consortium, PIF and share capital Russian company Novomet is a manufacturer of equipment for oil production. The parties will buy 30% of the company.

Russia also announced the promotion of the project for the construction of the Sibur petrochemical plant in Saudi Arabia with the participation of Saudi Aramco, the French and Chinese Sinopec.

A memorandum of intent was signed in 2017. It is unclear whether it will be implemented.

There is no complete clarity with the grandee of the sovereign automobile industry - the Aurus limousine. Compared to the numerous American, Japanese and German SUVs, it looked quite good on the streets of Riyadh. But the kingdom’s authorities, as we know, are not used to rushing to make decisions.

It is not surprising that trade between the countries is “growing at the rate at which a camel walks through the desert.” During negotiations with the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud, the Russian President noted that trade turnover between the two countries is constantly increasing.

In 2018, it exceeded $1 billion, and at the end of the first half of 2019 it already amounted to $637 million. An increase of 38%. As a percentage of the low base it looks good, but in absolute numbers it looks very modest. “We agreed to encourage in every possible way the initiatives of the business community aimed at expanding trade relations,” Putin summed up his visit.

The Russian authorities do not exclude the possibility of concluding deals with the Saudis on another 25 projects worth a total of $10 billion. It’s even scary to imagine how many years it will take for dialogue and approvals.