RIYADH: The Arab Energy Fund has received regulatory approval to issue Panda bonds in China, marking a significant step in linking Middle Eastern and Chinese capital markets.
This decision makes the Riyadh-based institution the first multilateral financial institution from the Middle East and North Africa region to secure such approval, granting it direct access to China’s domestic bond market.
According to a press release, the approval was granted by the Asian country’s National Association of Financial Market Institutional Investors, the regulator overseeing the interbank bond market.
This milestone reflects rapidly deepening ties between the Gulf Cooperation Council, especially Saudi Arabia, and China.
Recent high-level engagements have prioritized strategic investment and technology transfer in Vision 2030 sectors, resulting in dozens of agreements, and in December Foreign Minister Wang Yi described the China-GCC partnership as vital for safeguarding common interests and strengthening Global South resilience.
