Chinese institutional holdings of Gulf debt rose to nearly $14 billion as of mid-2025, according to figures from the International Monetary Fund reported on September 25, 2026.
The United Arab Emirates accounts for the largest individual share of this capital at $7.8 billion. Qatar ranks second with $5.3 billion, while Saudi Arabia accounts for $657 million. Combined, the UAE and Qatar represent more than 94 percent of all recorded Chinese debt exposure across the Gulf.
By maturity tenor, approximately $7.5 billion of the total holdings was classified as short-term debt, while $6.3 billion was designated as long-term debt.
Dubai financial analysts stated that Chinese positions in the Gulf region have expanded ninefold since mid-2017, driven by Chinese financial institutions increasingly arranging primary market paper.
Sources
- Atlant Capital · 2026-09-25
