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Saudi Arabia, China Forge Giant Partnerships in Energy, Chemicals and Construction

Representatives of ACWA Power and Chinese companies sign the agreement in the presence of the Saudi Minister of Investment on Friday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Representatives of ACWA Power and Chinese companies sign the agreement in the presence of the Saudi Minister of Investment on Friday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia, China Forge Giant Partnerships in Energy, Chemicals and Construction

Representatives of ACWA Power and Chinese companies sign the agreement in the presence of the Saudi Minister of Investment on Friday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Representatives of ACWA Power and Chinese companies sign the agreement in the presence of the Saudi Minister of Investment on Friday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

With the conclusion of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s official visit to Saudi Arabia, major Saudi companies working in the field of energy, chemicals and construction announced giant partnerships with China.

- Refining and petrochemicals

Saudi Aramco, one of the world’s largest integrated companies in the field of energy and chemicals, and the Shandong Energy Group revealed that they were exploring opportunities for cooperation in the field of integrated refining and petrochemicals in China.

The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which includes a potential crude oil supply agreement and chemicals products offtake agreement, supporting Aramco’s role in building a thriving downstream sector in Shandong Province, it said.

The signing ceremony, which was conducted with the participation of Shandong Provincial People’s Government, underlined the importance of Aramco’s collaboration with Chinese companies. The scope of the MoU extends to cooperation across technologies related to hydrogen, renewables and carbon capture and storage, it added.

Mohammed Al Qahtani, Aramco senior vice president of downstream, said: “Through collaborations such as this in China’s energy heartland, we are creating new pathways for growth in a country that is driving the increased integration of refining and petrochemical processes.”

- Signing of 9 Agreements

Saudi ACWA Power has also signed a set of MoUs with nine Chinese entities. These agreements aim to launch joint cooperation to invest in ACWA Power’s global clean and renewable energy projects in Saudi Arabia and countries committed to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative.

Mohammad Abdullah Abunayyan, Chairman of ACWA Power, said: “As a leading developer of power, water and green hydrogen assets worldwide, and being headquartered in a Belt and Road Initiative country, we are in a unique position to support both the energy transition and economic transformation envisioned by Saudi Arabia’s forward-looking and iconic Vision 2030, as well as China’s Belt and Road initiative.”

The strategic partners from China include Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Bank of China, SPIC Huanghe Hydropower Development Company, China Southern Power Grid International, Power China International Group, China Energy International Group, Jinko Solar Company, Sungrow Power Supply Company and Jolywood Solar Technology Company, ACWA Power said in a statement on Friday.

Cooperation between ACWA Power and China dates back to 2009, when the Saudi company opened its first offices in the Chinese capital, Beijing.

Today, ACWA Power enjoys strategic relations with Chinese companies in the field of engineering, procurement and construction contracting, equipment supply, financing institutions and investment partners. These companies contribute to the implementation of 47 projects within the ACWA Power investment portfolio in 12 countries around the world.

- Construction projects

The Saudi Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing represented by the Ministry’s Agency for Stimulating Housing Supply and Real Estate Development, and the National Housing Company, signed an MoU for cooperation with 3 Chinese companies to contribute to the provision of more than 100,000 housing units.

This agreement comes as an extension of the strategic partnership that the ministry holds with a number of regional and international bodies, with the aim to exchange experiences and raise the real estate supply, develop business and improve performance efficiency.

- Digital economy

Saudi Arabia signed a strategic partnership for cooperation in the fields of digital economy with China. The agreement was signed by Engineer Abdullah Al-Sawaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, and on the Chinese side, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Wang Zhigang, in the presence of a number of officials from both sides.

The partnership establishes a framework for cooperation, covering the areas of digital economy, communications and information technology, promoting research and innovation in the field of emerging technologies, in addition to improving aspects of communications infrastructure, and enabling the growth of digital entrepreneurship through emerging business models such as financial technology and e-commerce.

Within the framework of the partnership, the two sides will cooperate in the field of digital technology applications and radio frequency spectrum management, in addition to developing and building local capacities in contact and data centers, developing digital platforms and cloud computing services, and expanding submarine cable projects.

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IMF: Middle East Faces Pivotal Economic Moment

Azour speaks during a presentation of the Regional Economic Outlook update (AFP)
Azour speaks during a presentation of the Regional Economic Outlook update (AFP)
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IMF: Middle East Faces Pivotal Economic Moment

Azour speaks during a presentation of the Regional Economic Outlook update (AFP)
Azour speaks during a presentation of the Regional Economic Outlook update (AFP)

The International Monetary Fund said the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan were facing a pivotal and exceptionally difficult moment in their modern economic history after the war that broke out on Feb. 28, 2026, describing it as a severe and multifaceted shock to one of the world’s most strategically important economic corridors.

The IMF said the conflict was not merely a border crisis but had disrupted “three pillars of stability, energy markets, trade routes, and business confidence,” triggering a global energy shock and weakening supply chains.

Amid these challenges, Saudi Arabia’s economy emerged as a model of resilience, showing what the IMF described as “exceptional sturdiness” that enabled it to absorb the impact of disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz and a decline in regional output, supported by the pillars of Vision 2030, which strengthened fiscal discipline and logistical flexibility.

Jihad Azour, director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department, said while presenting an update of the Regional Economic Outlook in Washington, on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings, that the war was reshaping the region’s economic outlook.

At the center of the shock was energy, he said, noting that the Strait of Hormuz, “the world’s most critical energy chokepoint, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supply and about one-quarter of global LNG trade normally transit,” had come close to a standstill.

He said disruptions and shutdowns had cut oil and gas output across Gulf Cooperation Council countries, pushing Brent crude above $100 a barrel, while “European gas prices rose by roughly 60 percent, exceeding the spike observed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” putting global energy security at risk.

He said energy disruptions caused by the war would weigh heavily on Gulf exporters, while oil-importing countries such as Egypt and Jordan were facing higher commodity prices and weaker remittance flows.

More broadly, the Middle East and North Africa region is expected to see a marked slowdown in growth this year, with real GDP projected at about 1.1%, significantly below pre-war forecasts, before a recovery in 2027, according to the IMF.

Azour said the shock extended beyond oil and gas, noting that “commodity disruptions extend beyond oil and gas,” affecting fertilizers, chemicals, and other products in which the region holds a strategic position.

He warned that rising food costs were directly threatening vulnerable populations, saying that “these price increases translate directly into higher food costs for some of the world’s most vulnerable populations,” particularly in import-dependent economies across the region and beyond.

He added that the conflict had also affected services, saying, “air traffic collapsed at major Gulf hubs, maritime insurance premiums surged, shipping routes lengthened, and logistics chains weakened,” highlighting the broad impact on aviation and logistics.

The IMF said some oil-importing economies in the region relied heavily on Gulf countries for energy imports and financial flows, leaving them exposed if the conflict intensified or persisted.

Saudi experience

Azour said one of the most important lessons from the war and the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz was the need to diversify trade routes.

“This shock underscores the importance of building greater resilience and strengthening integration,” he said, adding that this includes “diversifying trade routes and deepening regional cooperation,” to ensure the continued flow of goods and energy.

He said Saudi Arabia’s approach under its strategic vision went beyond infrastructure development to a broader reshaping of logistics networks. By expanding alternative ports on the Red Sea and strengthening land and rail connectivity, the kingdom reduced its reliance on a single maritime chokepoint.

He said this ability to create parallel trade routes allowed Saudi trade to continue effectively despite disruptions to regional corridors, offering a model for protecting economic security and ensuring uninterrupted supply flows.

Egypt

Azour said economic reforms implemented by Egypt, along with stronger policy buffers, were helping the country better manage external shocks.

He said allowing the exchange rate to become more flexible helped absorb shocks, while higher reserves provided reassurance to markets.

Regional divergence

The IMF report highlighted a sharp divergence across countries. Qatar faced a steep downgrade to growth forecasts due to damage to its gas infrastructure, while Oman showed relative resilience given its geographic position outside the Strait of Hormuz.

At the same time, financing pressures increased on Egypt, Pakistan, and Jordan as sovereign spreads widened, prompting Azour to stress that the IMF stood ready to support countries.

He said that if oil production recovered and the Strait of Hormuz fully reopened, countries would be able to increase output quickly, adding that higher oil prices compared with pre-2026 levels would help producers recover some of their losses from the crisis.

Business

Pakistan Central Bank Receives $2 billion from Saudi Arabia as Part of Broader Financial Support Package

Mohammed Al-Jadaan and Muhammad Aurangzeb following the agreement for Saudi Arabia to provide an additional $3 billion in support to Pakistan (X).
Mohammed Al-Jadaan and Muhammad Aurangzeb following the agreement for Saudi Arabia to provide an additional $3 billion in support to Pakistan (X).
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Pakistan Central Bank Receives $2 billion from Saudi Arabia as Part of Broader Financial Support Package

Mohammed Al-Jadaan and Muhammad Aurangzeb following the agreement for Saudi Arabia to provide an additional $3 billion in support to Pakistan (X).
Mohammed Al-Jadaan and Muhammad Aurangzeb following the agreement for Saudi Arabia to provide an additional $3 billion in support to Pakistan (X).

Pakistan announced that it has received $2 billion from Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Finance as part of a broader financial support package.

Earlier, Pakistan’s Finance Minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, said that Saudi Arabia had committed to depositing an additional $3 billion, while extending an existing $5 billion loan for three years instead of renewing it annually.

This support comes as Pakistan faces repayment of $3.5 billion to the United Arab Emirates, putting pressure on its reserves, which stand at about $16.4 billion.

Saudi Arabia has a history of assisting Pakistan during economic crises, including a $6 billion support package in 2018 that included deposits and deferred oil payments.

Business

Gold Rises as Middle East Optimism Calms Inflation Fears

Samples of gold displayed in a program affiliated with the Brazilian Federal Police specializing in tracking gold in Brasilia (Reuters)
Samples of gold displayed in a program affiliated with the Brazilian Federal Police specializing in tracking gold in Brasilia (Reuters)
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Gold Rises as Middle East Optimism Calms Inflation Fears

Samples of gold displayed in a program affiliated with the Brazilian Federal Police specializing in tracking gold in Brasilia (Reuters)
Samples of gold displayed in a program affiliated with the Brazilian Federal Police specializing in tracking gold in Brasilia (Reuters)

Gold prices rose on Thursday as growing optimism about a possible end to conflicts in the Middle East calmed inflation worries and improved prospects for lower interest rates.

Spot gold rose 0.5% to $4,815.15 per ounce by 0926 GMT, after rising to a one-month high in the previous session. US gold futures for June delivery gained 0.3% to $4,836.50.

"For the month of March gold was under pressure because of the need for liquidity in the metal following the war, but that is kind of mostly run its course, that need for liquidity," said Nitesh Shah, commodity strategist at WisdomTree.

Shah added that he expects gold prices to remain very well supported as concerns surrounding central bank independence and dollar debasement risk still remain prevalent, Reuters reported.

Optimism grew on Thursday that the war in the Middle East may be near an end, with a key Pakistani mediator in Tehran and the administration of US President Donald Trump talking up hopes for a deal that would open the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

Crude oil prices were up more than 1% on Thursday, but remained well below the $100-a-barrel mark.

"Gold remains supported amid renewed optimism around de-escalation. The pullback in oil prices is easing some of the inflation concerns that weighed on prices earlier in the conflict. The move reflects a broader shift in market focus," ING analysts said.

Global equities vaulted past their previous all-time highs in Asian trading as optimism grew about a deal to end the Iran war.

Gold prices fell to as low as $4,097.99 an ounce on March 23 as high inflation concerns due to soaring energy prices raised expectations of a more hawkish approach to intrest rates by the US Federal Reserve, weighing on the non-yielding metal's demand.

Prices have since recovered as investors now see a more than 34% chance of at least one US interest rate cut by 2026-end, up from 32% a day prior, as per CME's FedWatch Tool.

Among other metals, spot silver rose 1.4% to $80.12 per ounce, platinum gained 1% to $2,130.25, and palladium was up 0.9% at $1,587.25.