The Gulf’s rulers are trying to work with China and with the West

By Anjani Trivedi, Global business correspondent, The Economist

The Gulf’s wealthy rulers spent 2024 doing two things: making their mark on the global technology map as they tried to move up the digital pecking order, and advancing their ambitious economic diversification plans. This involved partnerships with both the West and China, a tricky balancing act akin to trying to ride two camels at once. Going into 2025, however, the Gulf’s sheikhs and princes are coming under increasing pressure to choose one or the other.