Oil Supply I: The Arabs Look to the East

The relationship between Saudi Arabia and its allies in the West may never be as warm as it once was in the pre-9/11 era. Luckily for the kingdom, it sits on one-quarter of the world’s reserves of crude oil, and East Asia desperately needs oil to fuel its staggering economic growth. China’s efforts to satiate its unquenchable thirst for oil have spawned greater economic and political ties to the Middle East, some of which have placed Beijing in difficult diplomatic positions. Nevertheless, the Gulf States welcome the new business. While there is certainly a profit motive to looking toward Asia, Arab businessmen do not encounter the suspicion in Asia that greets them in the Western world. As Asia is home to the world’s largest Muslim population, both Asians and Middle Easterners hope the complex historical ties between their two regions can be rekindled. - YaleGlobal