Saudi leaders will infuse the trip with a dose of spectacle.
The Saudi king – or his powerful Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman – may bestow the Chinese leader with some honors and medals.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman fist bumps US President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Al Salman Palace, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 15.
Today, the US consumes only a fraction of that Saudi oil, and China is Saudi Arabia’s biggest client and trading partner.
Over the last year, Gulf Arab countries appear to have ramped up their independent-minded policy.