Felipe VI receives the Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan

The King of Spain, Felipe VI, received the Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud, on Monday 13 June, during the latter's official visit to Spain. The audience, which took place at the Zarzuela Palace, took place hours after Farhan Al Saud was welcomed by his Spanish counterpart, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, at the Vienna Palace, where the two representatives took the opportunity to review the relations of friendship and joint cooperation between Riyadh and Madrid. 

Farhan Al Saud and Albares, also accompanied by the Saudi Ambassador to Spain, Azzam Abdulkarim Algain, and by the Director of the Foreign Minister's Office, Abdulrahman Arkan Aldawood, also discussed the strengthening of bilateral cooperation, as well as new ways of developing it to continue serving the interests of the two countries, according to the official account of the Saudi Embassy on Twitter. 

In addition, it is expected that among the issues addressed by the Saudi and Spanish counterparts will be international politics, and in particular the US interest in normalising relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. While Riyadh claims to argue that the Abraham Accords could also be used to help the Palestinian people achieve statehood, the Arab kingdom does not deny that the agreements 'are working positively to stimulate engagement in the region', as Minister Farhan Al Saud said at a virtual conference at the Aspen Security Forum in August last year.

The official reception of Farhan Al Saud by King Felipe VI took place at 17:00 Spanish time at the Zarzuela. The Saudi minister, together with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Global Affairs, Ángeles Moreno Bau, and the Spanish Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jorge Hevia Sierra, was welcomed to the country by the Spanish monarch in a gesture that symbolises the good relations between the two countries and the importance of the Gulf country for Spain.

In parallel to his official visit, the Saudi minister took part in the debate 'Towards New Horizons for Saudi Arabia's Foreign Policy', a session organised by the El Cano Royal Institute for International and Strategic Studies in which Farhan Al Saud discussed the 'Vision 2030' plan promoted by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, also highlighting the 'Green Saudi Arabia' and 'Green Middle East' initiatives. 

The Saudi plan to halt the crisis in Yemen and achieve a comprehensive political solution that would allow for a ceasefire under UN auspices was another of the central points of the debate. Farhan Al Saud praised the results of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council and, in conclusion, called on the international community to stop the Iranian threat, pointing out that Riyadh and other powers in the region feel that the stability of the territory is in danger. 

Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud's trip - the first by a member of the Saudi Royal House since 2018 - represents a new rapprochement between Riyadh and Madrid. Although the sympathy between the royal houses of the two countries has historically been a point in favour of their relations, Saudi Arabia and Spain have seen how their ties have been consolidated over the last few months. The participation of the Minister of Industry, Reyes Maroto, in the Saudi-Spanish Investment Forum and the recognition of Morocco's autonomy plan for the Sahara have further improved relations. 

In this sense, the tourism sector is one of the sectors that has allowed for greater cooperation between Riyadh and Madrid. Last week Saudi Arabia announced the investment of more than 120 billion euros in tourism, with the aim of attracting leading Spanish companies in the sector so that, by 2030, the country will be able to attract some 100 million euros. In fact, according to the Saudi Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al Khateeb, this figure for public investment will be "much higher", and private investment will be added to this.

"We already have a very strong relationship with Spain in fields such as the military," the minister said, referring, among others, to the construction of five frigates for the Saudi Navy by the company Navantia. Now "we want to work with Spanish businessmen in the tourism sector and share knowledge".