Saudi, Spain now have a strategic partnership council

Saudi Arabia and Spain move to deepen ties during Madrid talks: Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares signed an MoU to set up a strategic partnership council, as well as an agreement to waive visas for diplomatic, special, and service passport holders, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry. The council will cover cooperation in security, defense, trade, investment, culture, and multilateral coordination.

Spain already lends a hand in Saudi infrastructure and defense projects. A Saudi-Spanish consortium built and runs the Haramain High-Speed Railway linking Makkah and Madinah, while Talgo has an order from Saudi Railways for 20 more high-speed trains. On the defense side, Spanish shipmaker Navantia is delivering three additional Avante 2200 corvettes to Saudi Arabia, adding to an earlier batch of five ships.

AND- Another move by the Kingdom to keep things under control: Yemen’s warring parties agreed to a prisoner swap involving 1.75k detainees, including seven Saudis held by the Houthis — the largest exchange since 2015 — the Financial Times reports. “If it wasn’t for Saudi lobbying, diplomatic pressure, patience, and clear signalling they want to de-escalate with the Houthis, this wouldn’t have happened.” said Basha Report founder Mohammed al-Basha.

Why it matters: The move reflects Riyadh’s push to protect its energy infrastructure, reduce disruption risks around the Bab al Mandeb Strait connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, and limit potential deeper involvement by the Houthis in the Iran-Israel conflict.