Myanmar–Saudi Arabia relations
# Myanmar–Saudi Arabia relations

Myanmar–Saudi Arabia relations refer to the bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Myanmar. Myanmar has an embassy in Riyadh while Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Yangon.

## History

Saudi Arabia and Myanmar established relations in 2004.

Relations between Saudi Arabia and Myanmar began to gain some notice after Myanmar began crackdowns on (Muslim) Rohingya people in 2012. Saudi Arabia largely refrained from condemning Myanmar. However, Saudi Arabia criticized Myanmar over maltreatment of the Rohingya population and offered aid.

Saudi Arabia has agreed to accept 250,000 Rohingyas and other Burmese Muslims since 2009. With the death of King Abdullah in 2015, King Salman took a tougher approach, detaining 3,000 Rohingyas before returning them to Myanmar and Bangladesh in 2019. In 2020, Saudi Arabia's treatment toward Rohingya refugees was conflicted: the country provided residency relief for 190,000 Burmese Muslims, while deporting another group of Rohingya refugees.

The German state-broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, alleged that Saudi Arabia's Wahhabism might have had a role in "fueling Rohingya Muslim insurgency" in Myanmar.

Burmese Muslims in Saudi Arabie integrated into the country and mostly speak Arabic. The government moved on to address the residency issues to further integrate the Burmese population.

