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  • Saudi defense chief in China in bid for help with Houthis, boost military ties

    Grant Rumley, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said that the reason for Prince Khalid's visit is Riyadh leaning on China to curb attacks by the Houthi rebels in Yemen on ships in the Red Sea. "China has leverage with Iran and has largely successfully protected its own interests vis a vis the Houthi attacks; the Saudis are likely hoping China will be able to apply some pressure on the group," Rumley told Al-Monitor.  

  • China lures US$2.3 billion of Middle East sovereign money in 2023

    The number was up from about US$100 million in 2022, external executive director of HKMA Hui said, citing data from Global SWF. Multiple financial institutions and regulators have made trips to the gulf region to engage with the market, which traditionally was served by Europe before, he added.

  • How Saudi Arabia is surging tourism industry with Visa-Free Entry for 49 countries including USA, Japan, China, Australia ?

    Saudi Arabia offers visa-on-arrival or an eVisa for citizens from 49 countries, mainly focusing on Europe, North America, and parts of Asia. Key countries include the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Schengen Area countries (e.g., France, Germany, Italy), Japan, China, Australia, and New Zealand. These visas allow multiple entries and are valid for one year, with each stay lasting up to 90 days.

  • Saudi Arabia Dethrones China as Top Emerging-Market Borrower

    Overtaking China is meaningful for Saudi Arabia — which has 1/16th of the Asian nation’s the gross domestic product and the drive to become a global business hub by the end of the decade. The latest data suggest improving sentiment as Riyadh seeks funding for projects to diversify the economy from oil and position it as a link between Asia and Europe. Meanwhile, the rest of emerging markets are also witnessing a blockbuster year for bond issuance, amid falling borrowing costs and a hunt for juicy yields.

  • The US does security and China does the economy: another narrative that needs to go

    I know it’s counter-intuitive because we all see stories about China’s significance as an economic actor and this is always paired with the idea that the US only thinks about geopolitical competition. And of course I think that’s a misperception that has taken root in so many of the narratives about China in the Middle East. But if I were a US official working in the region, I’d be pushing back on this every chance I got.

  • The US is leaving, China is coming, and other overused tropes.

    There is a massive over-emphasis on what China does in the Middle East and a massive under-emphasis on what the US does here, and it makes for weak analysis. I saw a piece last week that tried to explain the China-Bahrain comprehensive strategic partnership with a similar logic: Bahrain did this because its leaders have concerns about the US commitment to the region, because they are pursuing a multi-alignment strategy (we should all agree to dispose of the word multi-aligned, which essentially means ‘not aligned), and because they are hedging. Nothing about the enhanced US-Bahrain security deal that was signed just last September. Nothing about the significance of the US Fifth Fleet based in Manama. Nothing about the defense cooperation agreement that has been in place since 1991.

  • In the Middle East, China presents itself as a constructive actor

    An expert affiliated with the China University of Political Science and Law told us that experts in Chinese political circles strongly believed in the need to strengthen the Palestinian front. Peace talks could not proceed without greater Palestinian unity, he argued. The April meeting could be a stepping stone towards a meeting between Israel and Palestine that Beijing might hold this year, that expert said.

  • Brazil joins race to loosen China’s grip on rare earths industry

    Mining giant Brazil has big ambitions to build a rare earths industry as Western economies push to secure the metals needed for magnets used in green energy and defence and break China's dominance of the supply chain. Working to its advantage are low labour costs, clean energy, established regulations and proximity to end markets, including Latin America's first magnet plant which would provide a ready buyer for the metals.

  • China, Middle East Ties Accelerating

    China sources about 50% of its oil from the Middle East and North Africa region, and about a third of its natural gas. While China is not as highly dependent on the Middle East for its energy as, say, Japan or South Korea, the region is clearly vital to its future. The flip side is also true. For several Middle East states (including US allies), China is their number one export destination. They include Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, and Qatar.

  • Saudi crude oil exports to China to fall for 3rd straight month in July, sources say

    Saudi crude oil exports to China will fall in July for a third straight month to about 36 million barrels amid plant maintenance and as some refiners opted for other sources of cheaper oil, several trade sources said on Tuesday.
    The reduction underscores the challenge the world's top oil exporter faces in maintaining market share in the world's largest crude import market.
    July exports are expected to be down from about 39 million barrels in June, possibly the lowest levels for the year, the sources said.