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The Saudi Public Prosecution reported that Attorney General and Chairman of the Public Prosecution Council Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Yousef held talks with Alexander Gutsan, Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization gathering in Kazan, Russia. Gutsan welcomed Al-Yousef along with the accompanying Saudi delegation at the event. The discussions centered on reinforcing relations between the two public prosecution offices while reviewing topics of mutual interest in the legal domain.
Both sides examined opportunities to expand cooperation and share knowledge in judicial practices, according to details from the meeting. Al-Yousef’s involvement reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to increasing its role in international legal platforms and developing partnerships with equivalent bodies worldwide. The 24th Meeting of Prosecutors General of SCO member states provides a venue for addressing shared priorities in law enforcement across participating nations.
Saudi Arabia received dialogue partner status in the SCO following a 2021 decision by the Council of Heads of State, with the related memorandum signed in 2022, according to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation secretariat. A memorandum of understanding signed in 2019 between the Saudi and Russian prosecution services paved the way for a joint program implemented in 2023 and 2024 that produced measurable results in expertise exchange and crime-fighting collaboration. Those earlier initiatives established a foundation for the current round of discussions in Kazan.
The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office previously hosted Saudi representatives in January 2026 for sessions focused on cybercrime, electronic evidence standards and artificial intelligence applications in prosecution work. That gathering highlighted aligned positions on enhancing cybersecurity and developing unified approaches to digital offenses. The latest encounter in Kazan extends this pattern of deepening institutional coordination between the two countries.
In parallel with the Saudi-Russian meeting, other SCO participants including the Iranian and Maldivian prosecutors also held bilateral discussions with their Russian host. The Maldivian side signed a formal cooperation agreement that includes provisions for research, training and experience sharing, reports from the Maldives prosecutor general’s office indicate. Preparatory expert sessions in September had finalized a draft document for consideration by the full assembly of prosecutors, while Al-Yousef’s attendance aligns with Saudi efforts to contribute to multilateral legal frameworks that promote coordinated responses to transnational challenges.
The Public Prosecution Council noted that participation in such forums supports the development of prosecutorial methods and the alignment of strategies on common security concerns. No new formal agreements emerged from the Saudi-Russian session itself, which instead emphasized ongoing dialogue. The interaction continues a trajectory of steady advancement in judicial relations between the Kingdom and the Russian Federation over the past several years.
