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Great Hall of the People, China

China

February 17, 2026

Beijing 8:59 am

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(L-R) Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Chinese Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu, and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi hold a press conference after their meeting in Beijing on March 14, 2025.

Iran dispatches senior official to China amid talks push with US

Ahead of his trip to Beijing, Kazem Gharibabadi met with the Russian ambassador to Iran on Tuesday.

Advertisement boards on main road of the city Sheikh Zayed Road.

UAE launches sovereign open-source AI model K2 Think: What to know

The Gulf state is one of the few countries in the world developing its own sovereign open-source AI model to counter the dominance of the United States and China in the sector.

United Arab Emirates

An undated image of Wassim Chourbaji, Qualcomm's president for the Middle East & Africa.

Interview

Qualcomm sees growing demand for edge AI in the Middle East

The Middle East's young population is increasingly adopting AI through mobile devices rather than data center-based solutions, Wassim Chourbaji, Qualcomm's president for the Middle East and Africa, told Al-Monitor.

Wassim Chourbaji

Wassim Chourbaji

Qualcomm president for the Middle East & Africa

Latest News

Interview

Youth, strong AI adoption make MENA leading region for smartphones: OPPO

Lay Ren

Lay Ren

Lay Ren

President of OPPO MENA

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Benjamin Houghton

In Durham, reporting on China in the Middle East

Yun Sun

In Washington, DC, reporting on China-Middle East ties

Dale Aluf

In Amsterdam, reporting on China in the Middle East

Emil Avdaliani

Andrea Ghiselli

In Shanghai, reporting on China in the Middle East

Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly (2nd R) speaks during a bilateral meeting with China's President Xi Jinping (2nd L) ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, Tianjin, China, Aug. 30, 2025.

Egypt, Turkey ink investment deals with China on SCO Summit sidelines

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were in China for the two-day summit.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Aug. 19, 2025.

Analysis

How India-China reset could ease competition over Middle East energy, trade

Experts suggest the improved ties could allow both countries to pursue joint projects and strengthen their economic and strategic roles in the Middle East.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Delegates attend the Defense Ministers' Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states in Qingdao, in eastern China's Shandong province on June 26, 2025.

At SCO summit in China, Iran seeks support ahead of UN sanctions

China's SCO will bring together major world leaders, including China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian, as Tehran seeks support amid mounting Western pressure.

Pierre Crom/Getty Images)

Turkey’s Erdogan to visit China for first time in five years for SCO summit

The SCO summit comes as Ankara walks a tightrope between maintaining close ties with Washington and diversifying its foreign partnerships.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, China's Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu, and Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi hold a press conference at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on March 14, 2025. (LINTAO ZHANG/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

China walks tightrope on Iran as E3 trigger snapback sanctions

With snapback sanctions now in motion, Beijing must decide how much risk it is willing to assume in standing by Tehran.

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

An aerial view of the solar mirrors at the Noor 1 Concentrated Solar Power plant some 12.5 miles outside the central Moroccan town of Ouarzazate, on Feb. 4, 2016.

Egypt secures $220M from domestic, Gulf, Chinese investors for solar project

Foreign investment from three countries comes at a pivotal time in Egypt’s recovery from its worst financial crisis in over six decades.

Saudi Investment Minister Khalid al-Faleh speaks during the fourth edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference at the capital Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton hotel on Jan. 27, 2021.

In China, Saudi investment minister looks to build on $100B+ trade ties

China is the kingdom’s largest trade partner, with bilateral trade between the two reaching roughly $107.5 billion in 2024.

The inaugural ride of Kenya's newly acquired Standard Gauge Railway locomotive pulls into Voi railway station on May 31, 2017, in Voi, Kenya.

China, UAE are transforming African economies, but on whose terms?

China and the UAE are racing to get ahead in Africa’s economic future, each using a different playbook.

United Arab Emirates

From Kuwait to Turkey, why are countries cracking down on Roblox?

The fast-growing gaming platform has been banned in countries including China, Iran, Oman, Qatar, and Turkey.

Lenovo stand

Lenovo’s $2B Saudi expansion suggests China to hold ground despite US push

Lenovo and Huawei both continue to expand in Saudi Arabia months after US President Donald Trump's landmark Gulf tour delivered tech deals for US giants.