{"id":2950,"date":"2026-07-29T11:51:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T08:51:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/consgedda.esteri.it\/?page_id=2950"},"modified":"2026-07-29T12:00:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T09:00:22","slug":"the-history-of-the-consulate-general-of-italy-in-jeddah","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/consgedda.esteri.it\/en\/chi-siamo\/la-sede\/the-history-of-the-consulate-general-of-italy-in-jeddah\/","title":{"rendered":"The history of the Consulate General of Italy in Jeddah"},"content":{"rendered":"

A history of relations, dialogue and institutional presence<\/strong>
\nThe history of the Consulate General of Italy in Jeddah is deeply rooted in the early diplomatic relations between Italy and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is a story spanning nearly a century of dialogue, cooperation, and institutional presence, accompanying the evolution of a country in constant transformation while strengthening the ties between the two nations.<\/p>\n

The Beginnings:<\/strong>
\nThe year 1932 marks a milestone in the history of Italian\u2013Saudi relations. In the same year that King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud proclaimed the establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Italy was among the first countries to recognize the new State, demonstrating from the outset its commitment to building relations based on friendship and mutual respect. A few months later, the two countries signed a Treaty of Friendship, and Italy opened its diplomatic mission in Jeddah. At the time, the city was the Kingdom’s principal hub for international relations and hosted all foreign diplomatic missions accredited to the Saudi authorities.<\/p>\n

Jeddah: The Kingdom’s Diplomatic Capital<\/strong>
\nFor more than fifty years, from 1932 to 1985, Jeddah was the heart of international diplomacy in Saudi Arabia. All foreign embassies were based in the city, which played a central role in the Kingdom’s relations with the international community. Within this context, Italy’s presence contributed to the development of increasingly strong political, economic, and cultural ties, accompanying the country’s growth and the steady expansion of bilateral cooperation.<\/p>\n

The Establishment of the Consulate General<\/strong>
\nIn 1985, a Royal Decree issued by King Fahd ordered the transfer of the diplomatic corps from Jeddah to Riyadh, which had by then become the Kingdom’s new administrative and political capital. Italy adapted its diplomatic network accordingly: the Embassy was relocated to Riyadh, while the Consulate General of Italy was established in Jeddah. Formally created by Presidential Decree No. 1189 of 19 December 1984, the Consulate General officially began its operations on 2 September 1985. This institutional reorganization ensured the continuity of Italy’s presence on the western coast of Saudi Arabia, preserving Jeddah’s historic role as a bridge between Italy and the Kingdom.<\/p>\n

The Consulate General Today<\/strong>
\nToday, the Consulate General of Italy in Jeddah continues to serve as a key point of reference for Italy’s presence in the Kingdom. Alongside its traditional role of providing assistance to Italian citizens residing in or temporarily visiting Saudi Arabia, the Consulate plays a vital role in delivering consular and visa services and in promoting economic, cultural, scientific, and institutional relations between Italy and Saudi Arabia. With jurisdiction over the western region of the Kingdom, the Consulate General carries forward a tradition of presence and dialogue that began in 1932, contributing every day to the strengthening of bilateral relations and to the promotion of the friendship that has united the two countries for nearly a century.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A history of relations, dialogue and institutional presence The history of the Consulate General of Italy in Jeddah is deeply rooted in the early diplomatic relations between Italy and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is a story spanning nearly a century of dialogue, cooperation, and institutional presence, accompanying the evolution of a country in […]","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"parent":81,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2950","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/consgedda.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/consgedda.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/consgedda.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consgedda.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consgedda.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2950"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/consgedda.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2950\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2954,"href":"https:\/\/consgedda.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2950\/revisions\/2954"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consgedda.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/81"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/consgedda.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}