China, Egypt to hold first air force drill as military ties grow: What to know The exercise scheduled for mid-April comes as Egypt-China ties are growing both militarily and economically despite US pressure on Cairo. China
Analysis From Rafales to railways: Egypt walks tightrope between China, West While Chinese investments reshape Egypt’s economy, structural trade imbalances and conflicting regional interests highlight the limits of this “golden decade” of cooperation By Dale Aluf In Amsterdam, reporting on China in the Middle East
IAEA’s Grossi to visit Tehran ahead of second round of US-Iran nuclear talks The IAEA chief’s visit comes just days after nuclear talks between the US and Iran and less than a week after a senior Iranian official threatened to halt compliance with the nuclear watchdog. Iran
China courts Gulf, BRICS allies as trade war with US escalates Since US President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on more than 180 countries on April 2, Beijing has stepped up engagement with Riyadh. China
Analysis As China opens to Sharaa, Uyghurs and reconstruction shadow future ties with Syria By Rosaleen Carroll In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East
Analysis India's economic corridor to Europe via Saudi, UAE: a win for US, West Asia In reflection of the emerging multipolar world, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi aim to transform their bilateral relations with Washington, Brussels, and Delhi into multidimensional partnerships by joining the IMEC, with energy serving as a core pillar but not the sole one. By Mohammed Soliman In Washington, DC, reporting on Gulf politics
Mubadala opens office in Beijing as UAE-China ties grow The United Arab Emirates' Mubadala Investment Company began operations in the Chinese capital this week. Gulf
How significant is latest US seizure of illicit Iranian oil shipment? The US government said entities affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had sought to smuggle the oil to China. Iran
Saudi-China cooperation strengthens with stock exchange deal China is growing closer to Saudi Arabia politically and economically as business deals pile up. Gulf
China’s Huawei opens cloud data center in Riyadh to grow MENA footprint The Chinese telecoms giant said in February it would invest $400 million in Saudi Arabia's cloud region over the next five years. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran give BRICS economic boost, but won’t rival US leadership Tangible economic benefits may be some distance away, experts say, but the symbolic benefit is joining an alliance separate from, or opposed to, Western interests. Iran
US denies it had 'blocked' AI chip sales to some Middle Eastern countries The US Commerce Department was quick to distance itself from the reports — but it did not directly address imposing license restrictions on certain types of chips. Gulf
Iran's oil production bounces back as exports to China rise despite sanctions Iran's oil industry was hurt by the reimposition of US sanctions in 2018, but has largely recovered since then, in part due to increased exports to China. Iran
US bans Nvidia, AMD AI chips' export to some Mideast countries, amid China fears The technological war between the United States and China is heating up, with both countries imposing limits on their prized assets. Gulf
Analysis US-Saudi nuclear cooperation makes sense because of China, not just Israel The Biden administration plays the long game with China in the Middle East; prospects for a GCC gas grid; Hydrogen race is on in the Gulf. By Week in Review , Andrew Parasiliti
Saudi Arabia mulls Chinese bid to build nuclear plant The news will irk Washington, which wants Riyadh to not be able to develop nuclear weapons. Saudi Arabia
Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE to join BRICS The Shanghai-headquartered New Development Bank, or so-called “BRICS bank”, had already admitted the UAE and Egypt as shareholders. Iran
