This research program will assess China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its implications for Saudi Arabia.

China’s evolving BRI was first raised by the Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2013 and officially launched in March 2015 by the Chinese government as the Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. It has been in focus when analyzing the impact of Chinese policies on the international community, particularly on the countries along the BRI routes. The project seeks to answer the following key questions:

• Has BRI ever been defined properly?
• What are its main elements and why it is controversial at times?
• Will China’s future demand be affected by the evolving BRI and, if so, in what way?
• How should Saudi Arabia react to China’s BRI – are there areas that can help to deepen the relationship and areas to avoid?