Business | New Silk Roads

Commercial ties between the Gulf and Asia are deepening

It is no longer just about oil

construction cranes in the old district of Diriyah on the outskirts of the Saudi capital Riyadh
Photograph: Getty Images
|Dubai

Oil has long lubricated the Gulf’s relationships abroad. That is especially so in Asia, which takes in almost three-quarters of its exports of oil and gas. Cheap energy from the Gulf has helped fuel Asia’s rise as the global centre of manufacturing, and filled the sheikhs’ coffers in return.

This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “New Silk Roads”

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