PM Viktor Orbán’s secret trip to Saudi Arabia: A new power play in the Middle East?
In October 2022, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán made a surprising and intriguing visit to the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The highly secretive trip included a one-on-one meeting with the newly appointed Saudi Prime Minister, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, often referred to in the international press as MBS. Although such a meeting would typically be considered a diplomatic achievement, neither the Hungarian nor the Saudi side communicated it publicly — an unusual diplomatic practice in itself.
The secrecy extended not only to the public but also within the Hungarian government. No internal report was produced, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was not officially informed. According to Telex, the trip was known only to a very limited circle, and no traditional diplomatic channels were involved in its organisation. A businessman, Balázs Garamvölgyi — formerly associated with the Socialist government and now serving as Hungary’s Honorary Consul to the Middle East — played a key role in arranging the meeting. Although he was not present at the meeting itself, he reportedly mediated the talks through his network of contacts.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán departed on the morning of 25 October and returned to Budapest the same evening. It was made clear to his Saudi counterparts that no information was to be leaked, no photographs taken, and no press materials issued. The meeting took place privately, and its details remain unknown. The presence of bodyguards suggests that TEK (the Hungarian Counter Terrorism Centre) may have been aware of the trip, as well as one of Viktor Orbán’s oldest confidants, János Nagy.
Football, money, prestige: a link to the Super Cup final?
One of the biggest questions is the purpose of the visit. According to sources cited by the investigative portal Direkt36, the Hungarian side explicitly asked the Saudis not to take any photos or release any statement about the meeting. It remains entirely unclear whether the visit was official or private —PM Viktor Orbán’s Office has not clarified the matter.
Prior to the meeting in Saudi Arabia, the Italian press reported that Viktor Orbán was seeking to bring the Italian Super Cup final — traditionally held in Riyadh — to Hungary. It was claimed that he made a bid of EUR 8 million for the hosting rights. Although there has been no official confirmation, many speculate that the visit may have been partly related to this bid. However, the Hungarian Football Association has denied receiving any formal enquiry on the matter.
A new direction? Hungarian diplomacy turns eastward
In recent years, Viktor Orbán’s government has markedly strengthened its ties with Middle Eastern countries. The UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have all become key targets of Hungarian governmental and business interest. Several luxury properties in Budapest have been acquired by Arab investors, and cooperation in the energy sector has also been explored. One notable figure is Mohamed Alabbar — the businessman behind the Burj Khalifa — who is reportedly considering major real estate projects in Budapest. Simultaneously, the Orbán government has made multiple attempts to procure LNG gas from Qatar and has pursued oil and gas deals in the United Arab Emirates.
These deepening relationships are not confined to official diplomatic channels. Honorary consuls such as Garamvölgyi have become influential intermediaries in this process. These individuals are not traditional diplomats but act as conduits between business and political elites. According to Direkt36, although Garamvölgyi has not been implicated in any crimes, other honorary consuls have been involved in various international scandals, including money laundering and the financing of terrorist organisations.
Direkt36 has filed a public interest inquiry to determine which trips Viktor Orbán has made to the Middle East since 2010. The response was fragmented; the Contact Office did not disclose who his counterparts were, and it remains unclear in many instances whether the visits were official or private. The Riyadh trip stands out: while all other trips listed in the response have been publicly documented, Orbán’s visit to Saudi Arabia on 25 October was not reported by any government source until Direkt36 exposed it.
Although the meeting appears to have been a high-level diplomatic engagement, there is little evidence of substantive economic cooperation. Foreign trade data show that Hungarian-Saudi trade remains modest, with annual exports totalling approximately HUF 50–60 billion and imports around HUF 30 billion.
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