Meeting with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman

The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, has just left Jeddah (the first leg of her visit to the Gulf region, during which she is also set to meet with the leaders of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates), where she was received yesterday evening by the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman.

With her presence, President Meloni expressed Italy's solidarity with Saudi Arabia.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the defensive military assistance provided by Italy, exchanging views on the conflict's prospects and the ongoing efforts to reach a diplomatic solution as well as, more broadly, how to foster a regional framework capable of overcoming the current cycle of conflict.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss how to secure energy supplies and mitigate the impact of the crisis on businesses and citizens. The two leaders also agreed on the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz as swiftly as possible.

President Meloni and Prince Mohammed lastly discussed the strategic partnership that was launched between the two nations during President Meloni's previous visit to Al-Ula (in January 2025), and agreed on the importance of developing wide-ranging cooperation in the fields of economy, investment, strategic infrastructure, security and defence, all the more so in the current regional and international scenario.