Kristie Neo: Middle East & China Partnership Acceleration, Secret Power Corridors Reshaping Global Markets & AI Megaprojects – E646

"the crux of the issue is that there's a fundamental underreporting of this shift I have traveled the Middle East over the past five years and the magnitude is not obvious western media focuses on the West Middle East dynamic and on China West tensions but there is systematic underreporting about the relationship between the Middle East and China which remains a neglected topic" - Kristie Neo, VC & Startup Journalist

"Saudi Arabia was historically the most isolationist and insular of the Arabic states but that shifted when MBS entered the picture in 2018 and pushed to open the kingdom by inviting foreign investors to help develop the economy build and invest and within just five to seven years he rolled out large economic reforms under the Saudi 2040 vision and as Chinese companies look for growth beyond the US they turn to other markets after Southeast Asia and India pushed them out which makes the Gulf one of the last frontiers for expansion." - Kristie Neo, VC & Startup Journalist

"the China Gulf corridor is the one everyone talks about because it involves China and Saudi Arabia but there are many more corridors emerging and 2026 will bring even more attention to the Gulf Africa corridor and it is surprising to now discuss Southeast Asia and Latin America which barely had any ties until comparisons like the fintech ecosystems began these cross border exchanges and talent flows are only in their early stages and much more is coming in the years ahead" - Kristie Neo, VC & Startup Journalist

Jeremy Au and Kristie Neo break down how China, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia are forming new economic corridors that reshape trade, capital movement, and technology strategy. They describe how China and the Gulf now work together at a scale that surpasses Gulf–West flows, how the UAE and Saudi Arabia use bold planning to diversify their economies, and why Western reporting still misses the magnitude of this shift. They examine how Chinese overcapacity fuels Middle Eastern mega projects, how sovereign funds on both sides deepen cross investment, and how AI, data centers, and energy abundance position the Gulf as a future compute hub. Kristie also outlines the gap between vision and execution in projects like NEOM, while Jeremy reflects on how these moves echo earlier global cycles.