In the context of Saudi Arabia’s global repositioning promoted by Vision 2030, the African continent now occupies a priority position for Riyadh’s geopolitical and economic ambitions.

Through a systemic approach combining diplomacy, infrastructure investments, logistics outreach, and penetration of the key sectors of energy transition, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is developing a multi-pronged strategy of expansion on the continent, both competitive and cooperative. The strategy aims to extend its international reach and diversify an economic development model still dependent on fossil fuel revenues but already transitioning toward other paradigms.

In July 2025, Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Walid Al-Khereiji announced a $25 billion plan in new investments by 2030, accompanied by an expansion of the Saudi diplomatic network to over 40 embassies
on the African continent.

The goal is to consolidate long-term economic and political partnerships, to trade integration, multilateral cooperation, and strengthen development diplomacy. The plan includes $10 billion in export financing and $5 billion in development credit, with a focus on the energy, mining, logistics, and infrastructure sectors.

Saudi expansion in Africa is supported by aggressive economic diplomacy, geared toward building structural soft power. According to reports from Africa Day 2025 in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has already contributed over $45 billion to development and humanitarian assistance projects in 54 African countries. Of this, more than $450 million has been channelled through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), the operational arm of Saudi Arabia’s development cooperation and humanitarian action, active in 46
countries on the continent.

This trajectory reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing awareness of Africa’s centrality to future global balances: a continent rich in natural resources, with a significant population, and increasingly relevant to the dynamics of the current international system. In this scenario, Riyadh intends to build bilateral relations based not only on assistance, but rather on equal partnerships capable of generating mutual economic returns
and political stability.

A key aspect of Saudi Arabia’s strategy is the energy dimension. ACWA Power is the leading private investor in Africa’s renewable energy sector, with over $7 billion in ongoing projects. Among the most significant are the Redstone Solar Plant in South Africa (100 MW), the Kom Ombo PV Plant in Egypt (200 MW), and above all the “DAO” hybrid project, the largest renewable energy plant in South Africa, with a planned investment of $800 million and commissioning by 2026.

At the same time, the Saudi Ministry of Energy has launched the “Empowering Africa” initiative, in collaboration with the ministries of telecommunications and health, to promote clean energy, connectivity, e-health, and e-learning solutions, to improve access to essential services. Of particular note is the Clean Fuel Solutions for Cooking program, aimed at reducing the use of traditional biomass and improving public health through access to sustainable
fuels for home cooking.

Among other segments, expanding the logistics sector plays a key role in Saudi Arabia’s ambition to serve as a global trade hub, potentially also instrumental in expanding into Africa. Saudi Global Ports (SGP), a joint venture between the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and PSA International, has invested over $186 million in expanding the capacity of Dammam’s King Abdulaziz Port and in new concessions for four strategic terminals (Dammam, Jubail, King Fahad Industrial Port, and Ras Al-Khair).
The strategy aims to integrate ports, railways, and inland logistics centres (such as Riyadh Dry Port) to create a highly efficient
intermodal value chain.

Another key aspect of Saudi Arabia’s strategy in Africa is access to critical minerals, essential resources for energy transition technologies (especially copper, cobalt, lithium, and nickel).

In the first half of 2025, Saudi Arabian and Emirati investments in critical mineral extraction projects reached $2.2 billion, making the Gulf the third-largest source of financing in the sector, after the People’s Republic of China and the West.

Among the key players is Ma’aden, the Saudi national mining company, through its subsidiary Manara Minerals, which signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Zambia for new investments and began negotiations with First Quantum Minerals for the acquisition of copper and nickel assets, with an estimated deal value of between $1.5 and $2 billion. This initiative is consistent with Saudi Arabia’s strategy to secure critical supplies for future battery gigafactories and to strengthen its industrial sector in a feared post-oil era.

Another strategic initiative concerns the Limpopo region of South Africa, where the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has pledged $41 billion in investments, partly earmarked for the construction of platinum group metals (PGM) and base metal refining plants, as part of a partnership between the Saudi Ministry of Investment and the company Ajlan & Bros. The goal is to strengthen the Saudi mining sector and make it a cornerstone of the country’s economic diversification.

In addition to major infrastructure projects, Riyadh has announced a diversified financial strategy to strengthen Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The plan includes $5 billion to support African startups, $10 billion in export credits from the Saudi Export-Import Bank, and $25 billion in private investments to be made by 2035. Sector priorities include health, technology, education, and environmental sustainability.

At the same time, Saudi authorities are aware that sovereign debt is a structural obstacle for many African countries, so much so that Finance Minister Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan has emphasised the urgency of a multilateral commitment to sustainably manage debt, ensuring inclusive growth and the effectiveness of Saudi initiatives
on the continent.

The Saudi strategy in Africa represents one of the most dynamic components of Vision 2030, combining soft power (development cooperation and humanitarian assistance), energy diplomacy, logistics projection, and industrial investment strategies. Unlike in the past, when relations with the continent were primarily geared towards promoting aid and using Islam as a vector of influence, today Riyadh adopts a pragmatic and multi-sectoral approach, projecting its political weight through economic, energy, logistical, and technological instruments.

For Saudi Arabia, Africa represents a source of resources and an emerging market, a space for diplomatic influence, and a laboratory for testing new models of South-South cooperation. In a context marked by competition between global powers for access to critical minerals and the quest for consensus by African countries in multilateral forums, Saudi penetration appears destined to further consolidate, especially if it succeeds in reconciling its own economic interests with sustainable development (both its own and that of the recipient countries). (Photo: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Courtesy Saudipedia)

Alessio Stilo/CeSI