The relations between the two kingdoms, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands go back as far as the 17th century.

In fact it was in 1614 that the Dutch got permission to settle in the Arabian Peninsula.

At that time, the Netherlands had just gained their independence, after a long war against the great Hapsburg Empire.

This period was marked by great prosperity and Merchants from Holland, one of the provinces of the Netherlands, sailed across the oceans in search of spices and other valuable goods.

They established accordingly flourishing trade relations with Jeddah and other cities on the Arabian Peninsula at that time.

The strong commercial interest led to an equally strong interest in the Arabic language and civilization, an interest, which is still very firm in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Later when the Kingdom of the Netherlands temporarily became the second largest Muslim state in the world, due to the possession of the Netherlands East Indies,  it was the Hajj that formed the basis of the bilateral ties.

These relations were subsequently formalized with the opening of a Dutch Consulate in Jeddah in 1869.

Until the beginning of the First World War in 1914, 14 Dutch Consuls have served here. One of their most important tasks was to provide assistance to the thousands of pilgrims from Indonesia (former Netherlands East Indies).

Probably the best known Dutch visitor at that time is Dr. C. Snouck Hurgronje. He has been widely recognized and honored as one of the leading orientalists of his time.

His knowledge of the Arab language and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) have strongly served the bilateral relations and understanding between the two countries.

When His Majesty, the great King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud, took possession of the Hijaz and proclaimed the unity of the Kingdom, the Netherlands were among the first countries to recognize the new Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Previously His Majesty had already approved the establishment of a vice-consulate and a hospital by the Netherlands in Makkah.

Later in 1926, the King's son, HRH Prince Faisal, who would become King later, visited Her Majesty Queen Wilhelmina in the Netherlands.

He showed his appreciation for the excellent relations by allowing the Netherlands Trading Society, the forerunner of the ABN-AMRO bank, and nowadays the partner in the Saudi Hollandi Bank, to open an office in Jeddah as one of the very first foreign banks.

Subsequently the bank was entrusted with the duties of circulating the Saudi national currency.

After the independence of Indonesia in 1949, the ties between the two Kingdoms shifted from focusing on Hajj to trade (although today still thousands of Dutch pilgrims visit the holy city of Makkah).

This trade relationship has flourished to this date, making the Kingdom of the Netherlands one of the ten most important trading partners of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The total volume is to reach $ 3 billion in the near future. The Kingdom of the Netherlands exports a wide range of products and technology in various sectors: agriculture, machinery, chemical and petrochemical.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia mainly offers the Netherlands oil and oil products, but also articles like flowers and vegetables, which is a sign of the successful diversification of the Saudi economy.

Another famous Dutchman at the time was Daniel van der Meulen, serving as a Netherlands Consul (from 1924 until 1931 and from 1945 onwards). He has had various meeting with King Abdul Aziz during this period.

His admiration for the King and for the country and its people has led him to write numerous books on Saudi Arabia.

The pictures he has taken of Saudi Arabia and the Hajj symbolize the profound relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

At the moment the cooperation between the two countries is intensifying. Direct investments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from the Netherlands have reached $ 3 billion, which makes the latter one of the largest investors in Saudi Arabia. In addition, we are seeing an increase in the number of Saudi-Dutch joint ventures, which number already 30.

Among these companies are Shell Companies in Saudi Arabia and the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, who are established in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since many decades.