📈 GCC Trade Realignment: Shift from U.S. and EU to China

GCC trade with China surpassed trade with the United States in 2009 and with the European Union in 2013. By 2024, GCC-China trade reached $288 billion—exceeding the combined total of GCC trade with the EU ($173 billion) and the U.S. ($77 billion). Between 2014 and 2024, trade with China surged by 64%, while trade with the EU grew by only 7%, and trade with the U.S. declined by 35%. This shift reflects the U.S. transition toward energy independence, China’s rising demand for oil, and its expanding manufacturing base—factors that have driven Saudi Arabia and other GCC members to deepen economic ties with Asia, particularly China.

GCC members: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirat