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
Meet China's top diplomat Wang Yi, architect of Saudi-Iran deal Wang’s tenure as foreign minister saw China make large inroads into the Middle East, including among US allies. Legacy: Gulf
Egypt’s exports to China up more than 20% in 2022 China is making inroads in the Middle East, including by strengthening economic ties to Egypt. Egypt
China triumphs with Saudi-Iran deal, but devil in implementation The deal marks a turning point in Middle Eastern politics, but China may find its role undermined by failures in implementation. Legacy: Gulf
Analysis China leaps into Saudi-Iran diplomacy as nuclear talks move Iranian official says next move on prisoner exchange depends on US. By Week in Review , Andrew Parasiliti
US will 'protect' its technology against China theft in Middle East: Leaf Barbara Leaf, top Middle East official at the State Department told Al-Monitor that the Syrian government is participating in the drug trade, and blamed Iran for the failure of the nuclear deal. Iran
In Iraq, Macron seeks bigger sphere of influence for France In less than a month, French President Emmanuel Macron hosted both Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani and Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani as Paris works to revive its influence in the region and counter China and Iran. Iraq
As sanctions bite, Iran's Raisi talks business in China The trip came at a moment of increasing international isolation, which has left Iran with fewer options than ever before in selling its lifeline oil. Iran
US general reveals Chinese balloons have flown over the Middle East A senior CENTCOM official said the high-altitude balloons have posed no threat to troops, and he expressed interest in obtaining similar ones to fill gaps in the United States' intelligence collection. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Iran intel official says China in line to buy Tehran's drones Despite growing Western alarm over the Islamic Republic's drone shipments to Russia, the Iranian official said 90 countries were "queuing up" for purchases of the same products. Iran
OPEC+ likely to maintain oil output at meeting, in gesture to US While the OPEC+ group is expected to maintain oil production at its virtual meeting set for Feb. 1, global demand for oil is estimated to reach a record high in 2023. Legacy: Gulf
Senator Van Hollen says no F-16s for Turkey if Sweden, Finland not admitted to NATO The Democratic senator also discussed concerns about Israel’s new government, China’s inroads in the Gulf and more at the Al-Monitor PRO event. Turkey
Iran bolsters ties with China and Venezuela despite US sanctions Iranian oil exports to China are on the rise, and the Islamic Republic’s relations with Venezuela are moving beyond energy matters, as the South American country recently received 1,000 vehicles from the Iranian automobile firm Saipa. Iran
