China and Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

This book investigates the evolving bilateral relations between China and the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as the global energy system undergoes a profound transformation and the architecture of international trade and investment continues to shift. This book examines how GCC-China relations are evolving as they leverage their resource endowments, structurally transform their economies, and ramp up investments in clean technologies, low-carbon infrastructure, and resilient supply chains. It contemplates the synergistic potential of GCC-China cooperation around three overarching themes: (1) traditional energy, including hydrocarbons and associated petrochemical industries; (2) low carbon energy sources such as renewables, energy efficiency, hydrogen and nuclear energy, and (3) key enablers of the clean energy transition including climate policy framework, sustainable financing, critical minerals and digitalization. The authors of the book envision a future in which joint endeavours foster shared socio-economic benefits and promote an inclusive, orderly energy transition, with potential spillover effects that improves economic integration and structural transformation across the Middle East and North Africa. Using evidence-based and structured analysis, the authors draw on case studies and lessons learned to propose policy recommendations that foster coherence, strategy, and effective coordination between China and the GCC in the areas of energy and sustainability. This book will be an invaluable reference for researchers and academics studying international relations, energy policy and economics, energy geopolitics and Asian and Middle Eastern studies. It will also be useful for policy analysts in academia and think tanks, and advisors and decision-makers in government and private enterprises.