Recent podcast talk, cultural & educational projects, Li Qiang to visit Egypt, investment in Egypt, UAE-China trade service center launched
China, Iran and the Middle East — After Trump's Airstrikes - China in Context podcast from SOAS University of London. Last week I spoke with Duncan Hewitt from SOAS for his China in Context podcast. The focus was supposed to be on China-Iran but the conversation quickly broadened to the rest of the Gulf to contextualize the relative insignificance of China’s economic relationship with the Iranians. He also has Rana Mitter on the show. I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him yet but his analysis on China is always worth listening to or reading.
Saudi Arabia and China sign executive program to strengthen cultural collaboration - Saudi Gazette. Yet another development in building cultural fluency about China in the Gulf. As always, this comes with the warning to not read too much into this program. Gulf countries - and the Middle East in general - have a low level of China expertise and this will likely remain the case for a generation at least. But every week we see another examlpe of measures being taken to deal with this, and there will be a point when there is a growing pool of indigenous China-watching talent.
The Ministry of Culture and the China-Arab Cultural and Tourism Cooperation Research Center signed on Sunday an executive program aimed at further strengthening collaboration between Saudi Arabia and China in the cultural field.
The executive program was signed by Deputy Minister for Research and Cultural Heritage Affairs Dr. Maha Abdullah Alsenan, and Vice President of Beijing International Studies University and Member of the Joint Committee of the China-Arab Research Center for Cultural and Tourism Cooperation Cheng Wei in a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Culture in Diriyah.
The executive program, taking place in parallel with the 2025 Saudi-Chinese Cultural Year, reinforces joint efforts in cultural areas. Under the program, the two sides will jointly carry out research projects to enhance the quality of cultural research submitted and collaborate to identify and compile cultural content related to each country held in national archives. In addition, the Ministry of Culture will collaborate with the Chinese side to hold joint conferences and support mutual visits and exchanges between cultural researchers from both countries to discuss common cultural issues.
The program also includes support for research exchange operations, facilitating visits by Saudi researchers to Chinese universities and research centers, as well as by Chinese researchers to Saudi universities and research centers. It provides both sides with specialists in cultural fields, offers support in the research fellowship program, and provides consultative support.
This executive program comes within the context of the Ministry of Culture's commitment to promoting international cultural exchange as one of the objectives of the National Culture Strategy under the Saudi Vision 2030. This is also an extension of the activities of the 2025 Saudi-Chinese Cultural Year, which aims to consolidate the close relations between Saudi Arabia and China in various development fields, particularly in the cultural field, which has witnessed significant growth and development in recent years.
China’s Tsinghua University Launches First Scholarship Program for Moroccan, Arab Students - Morocco World News. Similarly, this initiative that will be housed at Tsinghua will also be addressing the shortage of Arab expertise on China, albeit on a small scale - up to 15 students from Arab League countries. On deeper reading, the Morocco angle isn’t important beyond the story being published in a Moroccan newspaper. Ben-Gacem is Tunisian and his firm BlueFive Capital is based in Abu Dhabi. Until last November he was co-CEO of Investcorp, which had launched a $1 billion fund with China’s sovereign wealth fund CIC.
The Hazem Ben-Gacem Scholarship Program will provide world-class educational opportunities to students from Arab League member states, strengthening Arab-Chinese relations through academic collaboration…
The Hazem Ben-Gacem Scholarship Program is the first of its kind specifically designated for Arab students at Tsinghua University.
The program will provide annual funding for students from Arab League member countries for five years, supporting up to fifteen students in undergraduate and graduate programs.
Hazem Ben-Gacem, who founded BlueFive Capital, previously served as co-CEO of Investcorp, the largest non-sovereign private equity firm in the Middle East, until September 2024.
Throughout his 30-year career, he has overseen more than 40 private investment deals across various regions worldwide. Ben-Gacem has funded several scholarship programs at prestigious institutions, including Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Kennedy School, and Oxford University.
Li Qiang to Attend the 17th BRICS Summit in Brazil and Pay An Official Visit to Egypt - PRC MoFA. Something to watch for next week.
Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will attend the 17th BRICS Summit upon invitation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from July 5 to 8.
At the invitation of Prime Minister of Egypt Mostafa Kamal Madbouly, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will pay an official visit to Egypt from July 9 to 10.
Egypt secures fresh Chinese textile investments - Zawya. Measured against other regional investments this is not especially noteworthy - it’s odd when I’m no longer impressed by $70 million. But it is yet another example of how much China is doing in Egypt.
Egypt has secured nearly $70 million in fresh investments by Chinese companies in garment and textile industries which are one of Cairo’s targets in IMF-recommended reforms intended to stimulate the economy and slash fiscal deficits.
After talks with Chinese businessmen in Shanghai on Thursday, Egypt’s investment and foreign trade minister Hassan El-Khatib said two companies have agreed to invest in new plants in Egypt’s free zones.
Egypt’s press reported that Zhejiang Holding company told the Minister it intends to invest $20 million in Egypt’s garment and textile projects and that it aims to boost the investments to $50 million within five years.
Another Chinese firm--Jiangsu Haite Fashion Company—said it would pump around $20 million into the construction of a new garment factory in Egypt.
UAE, China launch service centre to boost $400bln Arab trade - Zawya.
UAE and China recently launched Qingdao Overseas Integrated Service Centre at the China-Arab Business Forum held in Qingdao recently – that is aimed at increasing the $400 billion trade between China and the Arab world.
A total of 40 important projects were signed during the Forum, with a total value of $5.93 billion, covering industries such as high-end equipment, new energy and new materials, and next-generation information technology, said the organisers.
This service centre was established by the SepcoIII Electric Power Construction Co and Hisense Group. Leveraging the two companies' long-standing presence and influence in the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries, the Centre aims to serve as a new bridge for China-Arab economic and trade cooperation and to better support the overseas development of enterprises…
Held under the theme 'Innovation-Driven, Mutually Beneficial: Promoting China-Arab Economic and Trade Cooperation to New Heights,' the China-Arab Business Forum drew 465 multinational companies, including 135 Fortune Global 500 companies and 330 industry-leading enterprises from 43 countries across the globe.
Of these, 417 were foreign multinational corporations. Three focused match-making meetings were also held on the sidelines of the China-Arab Business Forum…