Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and Strategic Hedging amid China-US Rivalry

Saudi Arabia’s evolving engagement with China under Vision 2030 reflects a deliberate recalibration of external relations rather than a shift in alignment. As the regional and global order becomes more fluid, Riyadh faces the challenge of maintaining its security partnership with the United States while expanding the economic and technological foundations of domestic transformation. Within this context, China has emerged as an important partner in sectors prioritized by Vision 2030, including infrastructure, digital technologies, and energy transition. Rather than signalling strategic realignment, Saudi Arabia’s approach reflects a broader pattern of autonomy-seeking behaviour in which economic diversification and external flexibility are pursued alongside continued security dependence. Drawing on hedging theory and secondary literature, this study argues that Saudi Arabia’s China policy represents a form of strategic adaptation shaped by domestic reform priorities and changing structural conditions in the Gulf. By examining how Vision 2030 influences Saudi Arabia’s external choices, the article contributes to a better understanding of how Gulf states navigate great-power competition without abandoning established security arrangements.