As US reassures Gulf allies, China reaches out to Middle East amid rising oil prices

Since Biden took office, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have lost confidence in US security guarantees, including support to deal with Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen

But even as China seizes its chance to seek closer economic ties with Gulf states, in the case of oil supplies, it is reliant on the security umbrella provided by the US, an analyst says

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Engineers work at an oil plant in eastern Saudi Arabi. File photo: AFP

Published: 5:30pm, 28 May 2022Updated: 6:57pm, 28 May 2022

As the United States scrambles to smooth over ties with its key Gulf allies following Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) refusal to join its alliance against Russia and China, Beijing has sought to increase its influence in the region at a time of spiking oil prices.

Since President Joe Biden took office, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have lost confidence in US security guarantees amid perceptions the Middle East has been “overlooked”.

Last year, the US suspended sales of offensive weapons to both Gulf states, which would have been deployed against Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen. Washington also withdrew advanced air defence batteries from Saudi Arabia as part of a broader drawdown of American forces from the region.

The limited deployment of US military assets in response to the most recent Houthi attacks this January was viewed by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi as underwhelming, even as Washington has sought to re-enter the Iran nuclear deal after the Trump administration withdrew the US from it in 2018.

“After becoming president, Biden has followed policies which make his regional partners feel overlooked,” said Guy Burton, adjunct professor at Vesalius College in Brussels.

These underlying diplomatic tensions came to the fore when the US, EU and Britain pressured Saudi Arabia and the UAE to join their diplomatic alliance against Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February.

The two Gulf states – the Middle East’s top oil exporters – flatly refused to break their Opec-plus agreement with Moscow or boost oil production to bring down spiking prices. Instead, both said they would continue pursuing multipolar foreign policies.