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The Saudi Press Agency reported that Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud dispatched messages to Ülle Madise congratulating her on the election victory. In the cables, the Saudi leaders wished the president-elect success in her duties along with good health and happiness while expressing hopes for steady progress and prosperity for the Estonian government and its people. The Saudi Press Agency noted that such diplomatic communications underscore the longstanding friendly relations between the Kingdom and the Baltic nation, which established formal ties in the early 1990s according to records from the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Estonian and Saudi officials have periodically exchanged visits and explored opportunities in trade and technology over the past decade according to foreign ministry summaries from both sides.
Estonia’s parliament elected Ülle Madise as the country’s seventh president on September 2, 2026, according to the Estonian public broadcaster ERR. The Riigikogu gave her 71 votes in a secret ballot, clearing the 68-vote threshold required in the first round while seven ballots remained unmarked. ERR reported that Madise, who ran as the sole candidate, will assume office on October 12 succeeding one-term President Alar Karis. The broadcaster added that she becomes the second woman to hold the largely ceremonial post after Kersti Kaljulaid.
Madise has served as Estonia’s Chancellor of Justice since March 2015, a position that functions as an independent constitutional supervisor, ERR noted in its coverage of her career. The 51-year-old lawyer graduated from the University of Tartu with degrees in law and previously worked in the Ministry of Justice where she headed the public law department. Her professional background also includes academic lecturing and hosting radio programs on legal and scientific topics between 2009 and 2018, according to biographical details published by the public broadcaster.
Following the vote tally, Madise addressed members of parliament with a commitment to collaborative governance, ERR reported. “I will do my best to be worthy of this trust. I hope that through mutual understanding, debating vigorously when necessary while still supporting one another, we can accomplish a great deal together for Estonia, so that life in Estonia is happy, good and safe,” she said. Outgoing President Alar Karis publicly congratulated his successor on social media the same day, stating that serving as head of state carries both honour and significant responsibility while wishing her strength, wisdom and resolve.
The Saudi messages arrive amid a series of similar diplomatic gestures extended by Riyadh to European partners, the Saudi Press Agency indicated in its dispatch. Earlier cables from King Salman and the Crown Prince have marked Estonian Independence Day celebrations in past years, including one addressed to then-President Alar Karis. Such exchanges form part of broader efforts to maintain open channels with NATO and EU member states on issues of shared global concern, according to patterns observed in Saudi foreign ministry announcements. The Saudi Press Agency has regularly covered these routine communications as part of the Kingdom’s international outreach.
In 2025, Estonia’s exports to Saudi Arabia reached €28.6 million while imports stood at €7.68 million, producing a positive trade balance of €20.9 million, according to Statistics Estonia. The Saudi Chambers Federation has highlighted opportunities in digital transformation and e-government services where Estonia holds expertise that aligns with aspects of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. A business forum held in 2025 drew more than 80 investors to explore further commercial ties, the federation reported. Trade volume between the two countries reached 259 million riyals in 2024, the Saudi newspaper Okaz cited in its coverage of bilateral economic forums.
