On February 23rd, 2026, The Saudi Times visited the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Riyadh. A calm, green setting in the heart of the city, with the portraits of His Majesty King Harald V and Her Majesty Queen Sonja at the entrance. Warm, understated, and very Norwegian.
We sat down with Her Excellency knowing she had a flight back to Oslo from King Khalid International Airport just a few hours later. Time was short, but the conversation was not.
Who is she?
H.E. Kjersti Tromsdal, Norway’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, and Bahrain, speaks Norwegian, French, and English fluently. And beyond all three, she speaks the language that matters most in her line of work: diplomacy, done with elegance.
This is her story, and the story of what is quietly becoming one of the more compelling bilateral relationships in the Gulf.
A Diplomat at the Right Moment
Ambassador Tromsdal arrived in Riyadh in August 2024, presenting her credentials to His Royal Highness Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman on 30th September 2025. . She stepped into a posting that was already building momentum, and she has not slowed it down since.
Still in her first year, she has made outreach visits to Jeddah, Dammam, Qassim and Al-Ahsa, maintains an active presence on X (@NorwayAmbKSA), and speaks openly about the ambition that defines this chapter of Saudi-Norwegian relations. Her diplomatic remit spans four countries, but her focus on Saudi Arabia is unmistakable.
“Being a witness to how quickly Saudi Arabia is changing has been truly impressive,” she told The Saudi Times. “We are seeing a stronger interest from Norway toward what is happening here. Saudi Arabia now has a huge voice, not only in the region, but on the global stage. That has made Norwegian companies, institutions, and politicians more aware of the need to be closer to the Kingdom.”
Two Nations Reinventing Themselves
Norway and Saudi Arabia formalized diplomatic relations in 1961. The Norwegian Embassy opened in Jeddah in 1976 and moved to Riyadh in 1985, while Saudi Arabia inaugurated its Oslo embassy in 2012. Both countries appointed new ambassadors simultaneously in 2024, a symbolic signal that a fresh bilateral chapter was beginning.
The numbers behind that chapter are striking. Bilateral trade grew 360 percent between 2020 and 2024, reaching approximately $828 million. Norwegian salmon exports alone reached SAR 755 million in 2023, up from SAR 440 million in 2021. As the Ambassador confirmed, nearly 99 percent of all salmon sold in Saudi Arabia comes from Norway.
But trade is only part of the story. Both nations are petroleum powers now actively diversifying their economies and pursuing ambitious green transition strategies. That shared trajectory is creating new lanes for cooperation.
“The green transition is evident for both countries,” Ambassador Tromsdal said. “Norwegian companies are now coming to the Saudi market not only as energy partners, but with high-quality products, know-how, and niche technological solutions for renewables and sustainable industries.”
Aquaculture is emerging as another bridge. Norway’s expertise in fish farming is being transferred to Saudi Arabia, both in product and in technology, as the Kingdom moves toward food self-sufficiency. The maritime sector, long anchored by Norwegian firms along Saudi Arabia’s coastal zones, continues to grow alongside it.
Art, Architecture, and the Culture Connection
Perhaps the most intriguing layer of the Saudi-Norwegian relationship right now is the cultural one. It is still early, but the signals are clear.
Ambassador Tromsdal is candid about where things stand. “Cultural diplomacy is important for Norway, and we have chosen to focus on certain markets rather than spread too thinly. Formal institutional cooperation with Saudi Arabia has not yet taken shape, but we are seeing strong individual connections forming.”
Norwegian artists have participated in the Riyadh Book Fair, film festivals, and design showcases across the Kingdom. What happens when they return home is perhaps the most telling sign of how this relationship is evolving.
“They go back to Norway with a completely different image of Saudi Arabia,” she said. “They arrive with some skepticism, because Saudi Arabia has not always been associated with the cultural forefront. But they see what is being built here, and they leave with a very different picture of what is possible.” She told The Saudi Times
Architecture stands out as the most visible example of this exchange. Norwegian design firm Snøhetta designed Ithra, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in the Eastern Province, a landmark impossible to ignore and impossible not to admire. More recently, the firm unveiled what many consider Riyadh’s most striking metro station, Qasr Al-Hokm. And now, Snøhetta has been commissioned to design the Royal Opera House in Diriyah.
She told The Saudi Times “Snøhetta has managed to understand the Saudi spirit and marry it with world-class architectural design,” the Ambassador said with visible pride. “That partnership sets a benchmark. Others will follow.”
This conversation was made possible through the efforts of Daniela Arriado, Founder of Art Republic in Norway and Vice Chair of IKT, International Curators Association, who has worked tirelessly to strengthen cultural bridges between the two nations. In 2024, she served as an advisor to NOOR Riyadh and was in Riyadh during the opening week of the Diriyah Biennale as part of her broader mission to deepen cultural relations.
“Beyond the strong and well-established ties in film, literature, and architecture, particularly through the impressive collaborations with Snøhetta, there is a growing interest between Norway and Saudi Arabia within the field of contemporary art,” Arriado told The Saudi Times”
As a curator and cultural ambassador, Arriado emphasized the importance of contributing to this evolving dialogue. She highlighted the ongoing efforts led by H.E. Kjersti Tromsdal and her team to deepen connections between Norway and the MENASA region, and expressed her commitment to actively supporting this work.
“There are significant times ahead, and I look forward to further developing exchanges and future delegations in collaboration with colleagues in both countries.”
Norway as a Destination – We Welcome Citizens of Saudi Arabia
For Saudi travelers looking beyond the familiar European circuit, Norway is becoming increasingly appealing, and Ambassador Tromsdal is seeing it firsthand.
“Saudis who travel are looking for something different, something authentic, something that is not just another city with the same luxury brands,” she said. “Norway offers that. It is exotic, it is safe, it is easy to navigate, and it is close, just five and a half hours from Doha.” She told The Saudi Times
The country offers experiences that are genuinely rare: fjords, northern lights, glaciers, and midnight sun. The summer climate, cool and refreshing, is a natural draw for Gulf travelers seeking an escape from the heat. With most Saudis now holding five-year Schengen visas, access is no longer a barrier.
What will surprise Saudi visitors most, however, may not be the landscapes but the spirit. “Norwegians live with their weather,” she said, smiling. “Rain, snow, wind, people are out. We don’t wait for sunshine. We dress for it and go. That way of being, of embracing nature on its own terms, that is something visitors genuinely do not expect until they experience it.”
A Table Worth Travelling For
Beyond the scenery, Norway’s culinary scene has undergone a quiet revolution over the past two decades, one that is now turning heads among experience-driven travelers worldwide.
“We have transformed the way we cook,” Ambassador Tromsdal explained to The Saudi Times. “The best restaurants are not trying to imitate French cuisine. They are refining Norwegian ingredients, salmon, reindeer, wild herbs, aged meats, using them in sophisticated, authentic ways. You will find Michelin-starred dining not only in Oslo, but in Bergen, Trondheim, and even in remote coastal villages.”
For Saudi travelers who travel for food as much as they travel for place, this matters. “Some of the finest restaurants in Norway sit inside extraordinary natural settings, where Scandinavian architecture meets wilderness and the food matches the view,” she added. “It is immersive in a way that few places can replicate.”
Her Invitation
Asked what she would say to a Saudi reader who has never considered Norway as a destination, Ambassador Tromsdal did not hesitate.
“If you want something completely different from what you have experienced so far, something peaceful, safe, and filled with natural beauty, Norway is for you. It is modern and progressive. Everyone speaks English. Everything works. And whether you come in summer for the endless daylight or in winter for the northern lights, you will find something that stays with you.”
She paused before adding, with a smile: “And the next stop after Paris, London, and Marbella, it should be Oslo.”
A Shared Vision
Approximately 180 Norwegians currently live in Saudi Arabia, most in the Eastern Province and predominantly in energy-related roles. Norwegian firms including Jotun, DNV, Hydro Technal, Interwell, several large Seafood companies, and Snøhetta are active contributors to the Kingdom’s economy and transformation.
The relationship is growing in both breadth and depth. And at the center of that growth, for now, is a diplomat who sees her role clearly.
“Norway and Saudi Arabia share ambition,” Ambassador Tromsdal said. “We both want to diversify, to transition, to open new cultural and economic doors. Where we bring our expertise, we also learn from the vision that is shaping this country. That exchange, that mutual respect, is what makes this a relationship worth investing in.”
The Saudi Times is proud to bring this exclusive conversation as part of our ongoing commitment to showcasing the partnerships and people shaping Saudi Arabia’s place in the world.
- Fact File: Norway and Saudi Arabia
- Diplomatic ties established: 1961
- Norway’s Riyadh Embassy: 1985 | Saudi Arabia’s Oslo Embassy: 2012
- Bilateral trade growth: +360% (2020 to 2024), approximately $828 million
- Norwegian salmon exports to KSA: SAR 755 million (2023)
- Key sectors: Energy transition, Maritime, Aquaculture, Architecture, Digital and Green Technology
- Norwegians in the Kingdom: approximately 180, mainly Eastern Province
- Key Norwegian firms in KSA: Jotun, DNV, Hydro Technal, Interwell, seafood companies, Snøhetta and more.
The Saudi Times extends its gratitude to the women-led team at the heart of diplomacy in Riyadh. A special thank you to Her Excellency Ambassador Kjersti Tromsdal for her time and insights, and to her Deputy Head of Mission, Mrs. Monika P. Thowsen, Minister Counsellor at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Riyadh, for her support in making this feature possible.
We also thank Daniela Arriado, Founder of Art Republic and Vice Chair of IKT – International Curators Association, who facilitated this interview and continues to strengthen the cultural bridge between Norway and Saudi Arabia through her tireless work in contemporary art and public diplomacy.
Interviewed and published by Boudou Gueffai, Editor-in-Chief, The Saudi Times
Edited by Abeer Abdalla, Managing Editor
