Chinese and Saudi flags flew along Riyadh’s boulevards, while a photo of Xi Jinping dominated the front pages of local newspapers, highlighting the potential economic benefits of the visit.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Saudi Arabia, the world’s top crude exporter, today for meetings with regional leaders that will focus on energy issues amid the crisis linked to the Ukraine war.
The leader of the world’s second-largest economy arrived at King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, the capital of the oil-rich Gulf monarchy, according to Chinese state television CCTV. He was received there by the Saudi foreign minister and the governor of Riyadh, the official SPA news agency reported.
Chinese and Saudi flags flew along Riyadh’s boulevards, while a photo of Xi Jinping dominated the front pages of local newspapers, highlighting the potential economic benefits of the visit.
The Asian giant and the Gulf country, its main oil supplier, appear keen to strengthen their relationship at a time of economic uncertainty and geopolitical realignment.
It is Xi Jinping’s third trip abroad since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and his first to Saudi Arabia since 2016, and comes five months after US President Joe Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia.
Bilateral meetings are planned during the three-day trip with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto leader, as well as a summit on Friday with the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries and a another with Arab leaders, Saudi state media reported.
This is “the largest diplomatic activity between China and the Arab world since the founding of the People’s Republic of China,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said today.
Saudi Arabia and China are also expected to sign deals worth more than 100 billion Saudi riyals ($29.3 billion) during the “historic” visit, the English-language Saudi newspaper Saudi Gazette reported.
Energy is expected to dominate discussions between the world’s largest crude oil exporter and China, the largest importer of black gold.
Apart from energy, the talks are expected to examine the involvement of Chinese companies in the crown prince’s grandiose projects.
These projects include a $500 billion futuristic city, called NEOM, that will leverage facial recognition and other tracking technologies widely used in China.
According to the SPA, Saudi Arabia attracted over 20% of Chinese investment in the Arab world between 2002 and 2020, which is actually the largest recipient in the region.
Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Nayef al-Hajraf, for his part, stressed the importance of Friday’s summit with the six Gulf countries, saying China is their biggest trading partner.
This regional association wants to “enhance cooperation” in the areas of economy, development and trade, among other things, he added.
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