Analysis Looking East: How Iran is leveraging Asia ties to offset Western pressure With sanctions still in place and nuclear talks stalled, Iran is using its SCO membership to forge economic and strategic ties across Central and South Asia. By Sabena Siddiqui In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran
Iran oil exports to China fall sharply amid US sanctions, weakened demand China is by far Iran’s largest customer for oil, snapping up around 90% of the Islamic Republic’s shipments. Iran
China expands visa-free policy to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait During a landmark summit in Malaysia, China announced an exemption for nationals from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait from the need for entry visas. China
Gulf states court China, ASEAN at landmark Malaysia summit: What to know The Gulf Cooperation Council’s summit with the Southeast Asia bloc was expanded to include China, bringing the emir of Qatar and Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat to Malaysia. Qatar
Analysis Trump promises arms sales to the Gulf, but can he deliver? By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Analysis With US-Saudi defense pact stalled, Trump eyes civilian nuclear deal By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Turkey, China near agreement on nuclear power plant If built, the facility will likely be Turkey's third nuclear plant, with Russia currently constructing its first. Turkey
US touts Bahrain defense agreement as model for Middle East strategy The upgrade to US-Bahrain ties marks the latest sign of Biden's emerging Middle East strategy following the announcement of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor at the G20 summit last week. Legacy: Gulf
China's VP meets UAE's Ghubash as BRI summit convenes in Hong Kong The UAE’s goal at the two-day summit in Hong Kong is to enhance joint trade and investment particularly in areas of new economy, technology, and entrepreneurship. United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia in race against time to achieve 2030 green electricity goal Although the kingdom has pledged to shift away from burning oil for electricity, the carbon intensity of its gross domestic product has moved in the opposite direction from the rest of the world. Saudi Arabia
MBS and Modi discuss expanding trade goals as Saudi-India ties grow The two leaders attended the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council where they convened on various fields of cooperation and reviewed regional and international topics of mutual interest. Saudi Arabia
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. Legacy: 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. Legacy: 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. Legacy: Gulf
