Saudi PIF eyes $27B Japan portfolio as kingdom courts Asian investment Saudi Arabia is strengthening economic ties with Asian countries as it pursues its economic transformation goals. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Analysis Beyond Boeing and Airbus: China’s C919 courts Gulf as aviation power dynamics shift Despite strong interest in Chinese jets, skepticism remains about China’s ability to match Western standards of technology and reliability. By Sabena Siddiqui In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran
Analysis Iran's rebuke of Russia, China exposes cracks in its 'look to East' strategy Pezeshkian comments revived a long-running debate over the fragility of Iran's geopolitical alignments and the asymmetry built into its relations with Moscow and Beijing. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Syria FM visits China as Beijing presses Damascus on Uyghur fighters, TIP Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani pledged that his country would not allow foreign fighters to “exploit its territory to carry out activities” that would harm Chinese security. Syria
Analysis Saudi Arabia diversifies with new China naval drills, but military remains Western-centric By Francesco Schiavi In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance
Top Saudi officials travel to China to attend 'Summer Davos' as ties deepen The kingdom’s economy minister and other top officials will participate in the so-called Summer Davos as China-Saudi ties continue to gain momentum. Legacy: Gulf
How China dominated Iraq's solar energy market As Iraq continues to struggle to provide electricity to its people, cheap Chinese technology is helping the country, as well as the Kurdistan region, move toward renewables while deepening Beijing's reach in the Middle East. Iraq
Congress doubles down on Middle East defense architecture in NDAA markups To counter China's influence and Iran activities, lawmakers want to expand cybersecurity, maritime and air and missile defense support to Middle East allies and enable Israeli Air Force pilots as Arab leaders begin to engage with Iran. Legacy: Gulf
Egypt hosted US, China, Russia, France, UK nuclear talks The Cairo talks followed a February meeting in Dubai on nuclear non-proliferation as the Biden administration seeks to set new norms with Beijing and Moscow. Russia / Mideast
Libyan police detain 50 Chinese nationals in crypto farm bust Media from the Tripoli Attorney General Office’s Facebook page show a dingy-looking, windowless room full of hardware, wires and servers being raided by authorities. Libya
China signs major LNG deal with Qatar as Beijing’s Gulf push continues QatarEnergy inked a 27-year agreement with the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) to provide 4 million tons of LNG per year. Qatar
Dubai free zone reports 24% increase in Chinese companies The Dubai Multi Commodities Center has more than 770 Chinese companies in its free trade zone. United Arab Emirates
Saudi FM to visit Iran in first after China deal, Iranian press reports The visit will be the first in years during which Saudi Arabia and Iran were locked in a bitter conflict that has been felt across the region. Iran
China’s Xi hosts Abbas, vows support for Palestinian state on 1967 borders Xi used the word 'Palestine' as he welcomed Mahmoud Abbas on a visit that follows Beijing's offer to mediate peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Palestine
Saudi Arabia's Arab-China business conference inks over $10B in deals The Arab-China Business Conference yielded billions of dollars worth of deals on electric vehicles, mining, technology and more. Legacy: Gulf
Analysis Chinese panda bonds present opportunity for cash-strapped Egypt With this agreement with the African Development Bank, Egypt is the first African country to issue bonds in Chinese currency that are placed in the domestic market of mainland China. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Saudi FM: China cooperation ‘likely to grow,' but US security ties robust Saudi Arabia is a longstanding partner of the United States but it is rapidly building ties with China, its largest trading partner and biggest purchaser of Saudi oil. Saudi Arabia
