Algeria, China deepen cultural ties with opening of Confucius Institute Algeria this week inaugurated the institute, marking a major milestone in cultural and academic cooperation with China. Algeria
Saudi Arabia courts Chinese firms in mining investment drive Mining and Industry Minister Bandar Alkhorayef met with executives from more than 20 mining firms in Beijing on Thursday. Saudi Arabia
Analysis As Israelis sour on China, Netanyahu provokes Beijing — but to what end? With China already opposing Israeli actions in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused China and Qatar of orchestrating anti-Israel campaigns on social media. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Egypt's Suez Canal Economic Zone posts record $237M revenues Suez Canal transit revenues declined 54% between July 2024 and March 2025, caused by reduced shipping traffic in the Red Sea amid attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on commercial vessels. Egypt
Google Pay, China’s Alipay+ launch in Saudi Arabia amid cashless push By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
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
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. Legacy: Gulf
