Saudi Arabia and Sudan signed an agreement on a coordinating council
On August 17, 2026, Saudi Arabia and Sudan signed an agreement in Riyadh to establish the Saudi-Sudanese Coordination Council. The document was signed by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, and Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohiuddin Salem, according to Al Jazeera English.
The council is intended to serve as an institutional platform for cooperation in ten strategic areas. These include the reconstruction of Sudan, agriculture and food security, livestock, gold and mineral extraction, the Red Sea and ports, energy and electricity, finance and banking, industry and food processing, communications and digital transformation, as well as tourism, real estate, and services.
According to the Sudanese foreign minister, the council’s priorities will include security, defense, and the economy. The Red Sea has been identified as a separate area of strategic cooperation due to its importance to both countries.
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An Al Jazeera column also notes that Sudan has joined the maritime defense alliance established by Saudi Arabia on July 30, 2026. The author links the cooperation between the two countries to the security of shipping in the Red Sea, the risks of irregular migration and smuggling, as well as the possibility that armed and extremist groups could exploit a security vacuum.
The author of the column asserts that Riyadh views Sudan’s stability and unity as a crucial component of its own security in the Red Sea. In his view, strengthening Sudan’s state institutions and its ability to control its coastline is important for the security of the entire region. Al Jazeera notes that the views expressed in the article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of the publication.
