Additional requests: Brunei is ready to buy more Russian oil
The conflict in the Middle East has affected the entire global energy sector. Even the richest Brunei is looking for new opportunities in this area. The Sultanate is ready to increase imports of Russian oil, Ambassador to the Russian Federation Pengiran Husaini Alauddin told Izvestia. Previously, only small batches were purchased. At the same time, Brunei, despite its modest size, is among the top 15 countries in the world in terms of purchasing power parity and almost independently provides itself with raw materials. Relations between Moscow and Bandar Seri Begawan may reach a new level in the near future. 2026 marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah is expecting Vladimir Putin. Where Brunei got so much money from and what else the Russian Federation can offer is in the Izvestia article.
Brunei is interested in Russian oil
Perhaps few people know anything about Brunei, a tiny state on the island of Kalimantan (formerly Borneo), surrounded on almost all sides by Malaysia and washed by the South China Sea. Moreover, even fewer people know the full name of this country — Brunei Darussalam, where the latter literally means "Abode of Peace" or "House of Peace."
Perhaps that is why Brunei is quite a prosperous Islamic sultanate, which consistently ranks at least in the top 50 richest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita. And in terms of purchasing power parity, which takes into account the difference in prices and therefore gives a more realistic picture, the figures are even more striking. The country ranks 11th, ahead of the United States, the UAE and a bunch of European countries. Unsurprisingly, there is free education and healthcare.
The secret is simple — it's all about the richest energy resources and a very small population. Brunei ranks 41st in the world in terms of proven oil reserves of 1.1 billion barrels, and ninth in terms of exports of liquefied natural gas. Thus, the oil and gas sector provides about 70-90% of government revenues and about half of the total GDP of a country with a population of no more than 500,000 people. But natural resources don't last forever, and even Brunei needs additional "capacity," including from Russia.
Moreover, the conflict in the Middle East has also had a significant impact on Brunei. On the one hand, this allowed for increased revenues from energy exports, and on the other, it forced Brunei to tighten its domestic fuel policy.
— I think in the future there may be an opportunity for [broader] cooperation, because everyone needs energy. Even Brunei, although we produce our own energy. But we are diversifying our economy, which may also need additional energy from different parts of the world, where there is an abundance of it," Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam to the Russian Federation Pengiran Husaini Alauddin told Izvestia, answering a question about the interest in Russian oil.
Brunei has already purchased small shipments from Russia, and the rapidly developing Northern Sea Route is also used for transportation. In the future, Russian imports can be increased.
— It's always possible. This can be considered. Because we already have experience in purchasing Russian energy," the ambassador said.
Most of the trade between Russia and Brunei is accounted for by purchases of Russian mineral fuels, and over the years its share has increased. So, in 2020, Russian oil accounted for 10% of all imports, in 2025 it was already 17%, said Elena Polltsina, senior researcher at the Center for the Study of Vietnam and ASEAN at the ICSA RAS.
"Given Brunei's industry development strategy, according to which the country is going to increase processing and become one of the regional hubs, there is significant potential for increased supplies, especially in the context of the loss of the Middle East segment, which accounts for 12-15%," the expert told Izvestia.
Moreover, as the so-called light oil is exhausted, Brunei needs modern exploration technologies to search for residual and hard-to-recover reserves. As Pyltsina points out, Russia has extensive experience in this field, including conducting high-density 3D seismic surveys using unique technologies. This also creates the basis for the implementation of Russian solutions in the Southeast Asian market as a whole.
— At the same time, Russia could consider Brunei as a market for Russian IT technologies in the field of industrial digitalization, smart cities, cybersecurity and fintech. Given that the IT sector's contribution to Brunei's GDP is only 2.3%, there is significant potential for growth there," she said.
What or who connects Russia and Brunei
Brunei is an absolute monarchy, and all power is literally concentrated in the hands of the Sultan. Hassanal Bolkiah simultaneously holds the posts of Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Finance. He is also the longest-reigning living monarch in the world. All this allows him to virtually single-handedly manage the income from the sale of oil and gas. Therefore, contacts at the senior management level are very important for deepening trade and economic ties.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam Erivan Yusof at the final press conference following the meeting in Moscow, March 3.
So far, the political dialogue has mainly been conducted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry crossed paths with the second Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei, Erivan Yusof, at ASEAN events. And on March 3, he personally came to Moscow to discuss preparations for the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in October 2026.
In this regard, the diplomat conveyed to Vladimir Putin a personal greeting from Hassanal Bolkiah, the sultan invited the Russian president to visit Brunei "if it would be convenient for him." According to Bolkiah, these trips will help start a new significant chapter in the diplomatic relations between the two countries.
At the same time, Brunei is developing ties with the Russian Federation at the regional level, for example, with Tatarstan. The ambassador took part in the XVI International Economic Forum "Russia – the Islamic World: KazanForum 2025" and hopes to attend it this time, he told Izvestia. The next forum will start in the coming weeks. And on April 6, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke with the ambassadors of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries, including Alauddin, discussing with them key issues of the upcoming "gathering" in the capital of Tatarstan.
BRICS would probably help bring Russia and Brunei closer together, especially since there are already many ASEAN countries in the association: Indonesia as a full member, as well as Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand as partner states. However, Brunei is not currently considering joining, the ambassador said.
— We are a small country, we are located quite far away, and we have not considered anything like this before. We were also never invited to these meetings. But who knows. The world is changing, we can't know for sure. However, at the moment there is no BRICS process," he said.
At the same time, Brunei is invited to events under the auspices of the private sector of the countries of the association, and its representatives could well attend some of them, the ambassador said.
Relations between countries are formed not only by political contacts, but also by the people themselves. In this sense, it is important to develop humanitarian and cultural cooperation. Tourism seems to be the easiest way to achieve this. Brunei is a unique combination of luxurious Islamic flavor with the wildness of the Asian tropics. By the way, Brunei introduced a 14-day visa-free regime for Russians in 2018, but so far this has not significantly affected the tourist flow.
— Brunei is little known to a wide audience, does not have a pronounced brand, and does not have a strong sightseeing reputation. And the modern tourist chooses a more understandable product. Brunei may be interesting for experienced travelers who have already been all over Southeast Asia and love rare countries. In addition, most often this is not the story of a separate vacation, but part of a combined itinerary with Malaysia, Borneo Island or Singapore," says Maya Kotlyar, a specialist in the field of tourism, founder of the MAYEL Travel travel agency.
The potential could be in the case of long-awaited direct flights to Malaysia, Dmitry Arutyunov, CEO of ART-Tour, tells Izvestia. They are scheduled to be launched in 2026.
— We would do tours all over Malaysia, and maybe as part of these tours, people would also visit Brunei for a day or two. That could be more interesting then," he said.
To increase the tourist flow from Russia, we need not only simplified logistics and convenient connections, but also information promotion of the destination, as well as the creation of an understandable tourist product, Kotlyar said. Until that happens, Brunei will remain exotic for a very narrow audience.
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