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Saudi Arabia takes a step closer to joining a powerful regional bloc led by China and Russia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). In a Tuesday meeting chaired by King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Cabinet approved a memorandum to become a dialogue partner in the SCO, as reported by the official Saudi Press Agency. Established in 2001 by China, Russia, and the Central Asian states of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, the SCO is the world’s largest regional organization with eight members, four observer states, and several dialogue partners. Pakistan and India joined as full members in 2017, while Iran became an observer state in 2005 and received approval for permanent membership in September 2021. The move marks Saudi Arabia's interest in deepening its ties with the bloc for potential strategic and economic benefits.
