Executive Summary:
- On February 18, Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev paid an official visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to discuss developing political dialogue, expanding trade, economic cooperation, and cultural and humanitarian ties.
- The visit is illustrative of the growing ties between Saudi Arabia and Central Asia, in which Riyadh is particularly interested in tapping into shifting connectivity in the heart of Eurasia, especially with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
- Burgeoning Saudi Arabia–Central Asia ties illustrate how middle powers increasingly shape regional order, operating through flexible partnerships rather than rigid blocs and challenging the assumption that great powers will dominate post-Soviet Central Asian geopolitics.
Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev paid an official visit to Saudi Arabia on February 18. During talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the two sides discussed developing political dialogue, expanding trade, and economic cooperation, as well as cultural and humanitarian ties (Caravan Info, February 18). The visit is illustrative of the growing relationship between Saudi Arabia and Central Asia.
Saudi Arabia is particularly interested in tapping into shifting connectivity in the heart of Eurasia (Gulf Research Center, April 25, 2025). Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the region’s biggest economies, attract most of the kingdom’s attention. Astana seeks to attract Saudi investments into the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor). This corridor, if not an outright alternative to the northern Eurasian route passing through Russia, is at least a strong complementary route for East–West connectivity, including trade between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the European Union (see EDM, January 28, December 4, 2025). The Emirati company, Dubai PortsWorld, has stakes in two special economic zones in Kazakhstan. Because the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are economic competitors, Abu Dhabi’s investment in the region makes it highly likely that Riyadh will also expand its engagement (Ducascopy, March 25, 2018).
Investments in Middle Corridor-related transport infrastructure, such as Kazakhstan’s Aktau port, could be profitable for Saudi Arabia as the TITR expands. Other areas of potential bilateral cooperation include oil, gas, and uranium production, as these resources play a key role in the economies of both countries. Another key infrastructure project that makes Kazakhstan interesting to Saudi Arabia is the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which runs from Russia to the Middle East. Despite instability in the Middle East, which often disrupts the operation of the INSTC, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are interested in developing routes to reach Russia (Gulf Research Center, August 26, 2025; Povorot Rossii v Aziyu, December 14, 2025). Another connectivity project linking the regions is the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan corridor. Pakistan may be a crucial link given its growing ties with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Saudi Arabia (Kursiv, February 3).
Saudi Arabia has pursued extensive diplomatic engagement with Uzbekistan over the past two years (Saudi Press Agency, March 18, 2024). The countries discuss regional issues, particularly amid the ongoing conflict between the United States and Israel against Iran. In early March, Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov spoke with Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud about the growing instability in the Middle East to coordinate their diplomatic responses (Uz Daily, March 2).
Saudi Arabia has also invested in Uzbekistan’s energy infrastructure. For instance, the Saudi ACWA Power company invested around $1.2 billion in a plant in Uzbekistan’s Syrdarya region. The company also contributed $1.3 billion for the construction of wind farms in Uzbekistan’s Bukhara and Navoi regions. Another Saudi-backed wind farm is underway in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan (The Times of Central Asia, March 11, 2024).
Saudi Arabia is also investing in Tajikistan. Tajikistan has been a center of Saudi–Iranian competition over which country can develop closer religious and economic ties with Dushanbe. For instance, in 2023, Saudi Arabia invested $20 million in Tajikistan’s education system development, as part of a larger series of Saudi contributions to the Tajik education system (Arab News, October 9, 2023). There is a commercial aspect to Tajik–Saudi relations as well. In 2024, in an effort to improve commercial and investment ties between the two countries, the Federation of Saudi Chambers and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Tajikistan established a Saudi–Tajik Business Council (Saudi Press Agency, November 24, 2024).
Central Asian countries look at Saudi Arabia for investments, trade cooperation, and political alignment. Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” may be especially attractive to Central Asian countries, which likewise face the prospect of a post-gas-and-oil economic landscape. The Saudi initiative could serve as a valuable example for Central Asian countries. Saudi Arabia’s political leverage in the Middle East and elsewhere also makes a partnership with Riyadh attractive to Central Asian states.
Saudi Arabia’s interest in Central Asia is boosted by a multilateral cooperation between the GCC and the five Central Asian countries. In July 2023, an inaugural summit took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, marking a turning point in the growing partnership (Embassy of Uzbekistan in the United Kingdom, accessed March 18). Saudi Arabia initiated the summit to advance interregional economic cooperation and strengthen security ties. The summit was preceded by official talks between the foreign ministers of the GCC countries and Central Asian states held in Riyadh in September 2022. The discussion focused on organizing a strategic dialogue between the two regions and resulted in the development of a joint action plan for strategic dialogue and cooperation for 2023–2027 (GCC-SG, July 19).
The shifting geopolitical order in Eurasia is a key to understanding Saudi Arabia’s growing ties with Central Asian countries. Central Asian states and Saudi Arabia are both pursuing a “multi-aligned” foreign policy. They avoid anchoring on a single great power and instead focus on many diverse relationships that allow them to better navigate a multipolar world. Saudi Arabia and key Central Asian states seek to position themselves as middle powers, strong enough to avoid choosing sides while relying on each others’ help to mitigate regional tensions. Burgeoning Saudi Arabia–Central Asia ties illustrate how regional orders are increasingly shaped by middle powers operating through flexible partnerships rather than rigid blocs, challenging the post-Soviet assumption that Central Asian geopolitics will be dominated exclusively by great powers.
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