U.S. Media: China is Cultivating "Algorithmic Influence" in the Gulf Region

Reference News Network, November 26 report: On November 22, the U.S. Foreign Policy website published an article titled "China's Artificial Intelligence Campaign in the Persian Gulf" by Iranian political analyst Behrooz Ayaaz. The translation is as follows:

In recent years, a quiet but significant competition has been taking place among Persian Gulf countries - this time it's about data, not oil. China has been quietly and systematically planting seeds of technological influence in the Gulf region.

The key countries Beijing targets to gain technological influence are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. These countries seek economic diversification and have turned to new technologies such as artificial intelligence from China.

For decades, the region's influence was determined by energy. Each barrel of oil was a geopolitical card in the East-West game. However, drilling platforms are now gradually being replaced by data centers, cloud servers, and machine learning algorithms. The Chinese government recognized this shift early on and has shifted its policies from ensuring energy supply to capturing algorithmic infrastructure. The emphasis on digital agreements and the presence of companies such as Huawei, Alibaba Cloud, and SenseTime in AI projects indicate that China is building a technological partnership in the Gulf region.

In their efforts to transition to a post-oil economy, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar are moving towards a digital and innovative economy. This convergence of interests provides a suitable platform for technological cooperation with China, while also making it possible for these countries to transform from energy powers to "algorithm powers." This form of influence reflects the ability of an actor to use data, computation, algorithms, and networks as tools of influence on the international and regional stage. Naturally, it can supplement or even replace traditional influence.

In September 2022, one of China's leading AI giants, SenseTime, signed a $206 million memorandum of understanding with the Saudi National Center for Artificial Intelligence. The goal is to develop machine vision systems for energy, urban security, and public services.

This collaboration is just one example of China's larger effort to enter Saudi Arabia's data infrastructure - a key component of the post-oil economic vision. Another example is the Saudi Investment Company Buruj 7 venture capital fund, part of Saudi Aramco, participating in the latest funding round of Chinese company Zhipu AI, which has a valuation of approximately $3 billion.

In the large-scale NEOM project, Saudi Arabia not only aims to build a futuristic city but also to create a model of "digital governance." Chinese companies such as SenseTime and Huawei are at the core of this project, with their algorithms applied in areas such as urban data management.

The UAE has been committed to shifting its economic focus from oil to artificial intelligence. It seems the UAE has recognized earlier than its neighbors that "the future" depends on sovereign technology. In 2019, the Chinese company UB Tech signed a $362 million contract to establish an AI laboratory in the UAE. In 2020, Chinese companies such as Huawei started joint cooperation with Abu Dhabi to achieve the localization of Chinese algorithms in areas such as facial recognition, urban security, and digital healthcare.