Saudi Arabia has taken a step towards joining a Chinese-led regional security and trade club, as Beijing’s push for influence in the Middle East gathers momentum.
The kingdom will become a dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation after the move was approved by the cabinet on Wednesday, almost three months after Chinese president Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia.
The SCO, a political, security and trade alliance set up in 2001 as a rival to western influence, has eight full members: China, Russia, India, Pakistan and four central Asian nations. Iran is expected to become a full member of the alliance this year after signing a memorandum of obligations last September.
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