A senior Eritrean delegation held talks with Saudi officials in Riyadh on Tuesday, reviewing bilateral cooperation and discussing ways to expand economic engagement across several sectors.The delegation comprised Hagos Gebrehiwet, head of economic affairs of Eritrea’s ruling People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, and Trade and Industry Minister Nesredin Mohammed Saleh. They met Saudi Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed bin Abdulkarim El Khereiji as part of a series of contacts focused on the state of relations and areas for further cooperation.
Eritrea’s Ministry of Information said the discussions examined progress in bilateral cooperation, prospects for strengthening ties and other issues of mutual interest. It did not announce new agreements, investment commitments or specific projects arising from the meeting.
The Riyadh talks followed meetings a day earlier between the Eritrean delegation and senior officials from Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy and Saudi Aramco. Those discussions focused on what Eritrean authorities described as concrete areas of mutual cooperation, although no detailed list of proposed ventures or commercial terms was released.
The participation of officials responsible for trade, economic affairs and banking pointed to a strong economic component in the visit. Berhane Gebrehiwot, chief executive of the Housing and Commercial Bank of Eritrea, attended the meetings, along with Weyni Gerezgiher, chargé d’affaires at Eritrea’s embassy in Saudi Arabia.
The visit comes as Asmara and Riyadh continue efforts to broaden a relationship that has increasingly included trade, investment, energy and Red Sea security. The two governments have maintained regular high-level contact, with economic cooperation repeatedly featuring in talks between senior officials.
President Isaias Afwerki met Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh in November 2024, when the two sides reviewed opportunities for joint cooperation, particularly in development and trade. Eritrean and Saudi officials have since continued contacts on political, economic and regional issues.
Waleed El Khereiji also led a Saudi delegation to Asmara in early 2026 for talks with President Isaias. Eritrean officials said at the time that the discussions covered political, economic, security, cultural and social cooperation, as well as the role of Red Sea littoral states in regional peace and security.
Saudi Arabia also established the Council of Arab and African States Bordering the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in 2020, with Eritrea among its members. The forum was designed to improve coordination among littoral states on security, development and maritime interests, adding an institutional channel alongside the two countries’ direct bilateral contacts.
Energy cooperation carries particular weight because Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest oil exporters while Eritrea occupies a strategic position on the Red Sea, along one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors. Eritrea’s ports at Massawa and Assab also give the country potential relevance to regional logistics, trade and energy networks.
The latest meetings with the Saudi energy ministry and Aramco therefore add a commercial dimension to bilateral discussions that have often been framed around wider regional stability. Neither side, however, disclosed whether the talks covered fuel supply, storage, infrastructure, refining, transport or investment.
Eritrea has also been seeking broader commercial partnerships with Gulf states and other regional economies. During a working visit to Oman in October 2025, a delegation led by Nesredin and Hagos discussed trade, industry, investment, energy, minerals, livestock, fisheries and logistics, with both sides exploring ways to increase private-sector links.
The Saudi discussions fit that pattern of targeted economic diplomacy, but the lack of announced agreements means the immediate outcome remains limited to consultations and the identification of possible areas for cooperation.
Riyadh has placed growing emphasis on economic partnerships with African states, including through the Saudi-Africa summit held in 2023. Eritrea participated at presidential level, and Isaias held separate talks with Mohammed bin Salman on investment, trade and regional cooperation.
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