Saudi State News Agency: "Chinese President Xi Jinping to Arrive on the 7th... Attending Gulf Summit for the First Time in History"

Expected Three-Day Tour Schedule from 7th to 9th
Anticipated Signing of 38 Trillion Won Agreement with Saudi Arabia

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to arrive in Saudi Arabia on the 7th (local time), according to Saudi state-run SPA news agency. President Xi will stay in Saudi Arabia for three days from the 7th to the 9th and will attend the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit for the first time in history.

SPA news agency reported on the 6th (local time) that President Xi is expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia on the 7th and stay for three days until the 9th. During his visit, President Xi is expected to hold talks with key Saudi leaders, including King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

SPA also conveyed that President Xi will attend the GCC summit held on the 9th for the first time. SPA emphasized, "The historic first China-Gulf summit attended by President Xi will redefine the historic relationship between the GCC member states and China." This visit marks President Xi’s first direct visit to Saudi Arabia since his trip in 2016.

During his visit to Saudi Arabia, President Xi is also expected to sign contracts worth 110 billion riyals (approximately 38.6 trillion KRW). In addition to energy cooperation in oil and gas sectors, agreements related to Saudi Arabia’s mega construction project, 'NEOM City,' are also anticipated.

Major foreign media reported that Saudi Arabia and Arab countries will warmly welcome the visit of the Chinese leader, who has emerged as the largest importer of Middle Eastern oil. Upon President Xi’s arrival in Saudi Arabia on the 7th, Crown Prince bin Salman, who currently also serves as the Prime Minister, is expected to personally welcome him.

President Xi’s extensive Middle East tour is expected to deal a significant blow to the United States’ dominance in the Middle East. Earlier, in July, U.S. President Joe Biden visited Saudi Arabia to prevent oil production cuts despite criticism over human rights issues but returned without notable achievements.

Ali Shihabi, former director of the Arabia Foundation in Washington and a Saudi analyst, told AFP, "This visit by President Xi shows that the bilateral relationship has significantly deepened in recent years," adding, "China, the largest importer of Saudi crude oil, is a very important partner, and military relations between the two countries have also developed considerably. Several agreements are expected to be signed during this visit."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.