The Gulf looks to China
A summit in Saudi Arabia will be about energy and money—and sending a message to America
The mood on the Arabian peninsula was jittery. After an abrupt surge, oil prices were sliding amid a rich-country recession. Conflict brewing in the Persian Gulf left Saudi Arabia worried about attacks on its oilfields and eager to procure ballistic missiles to deter its rivals. Rebuffed by America, a young and powerful Saudi prince turned instead to China, which signed a secret deal to supply the kingdom with the weapons it wanted.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Arabs looking east”
From the December 10th 2022 edition
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