President Xi Jinping kicks off his first official visit to the Middle East today with a packed agenda, as China steps up its engagement with the region at a time of heightened instability.

Over five days in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran, he will look to score economic deals, encourage regional peace and push counter-terrorism cooperation, analysts told The Straits Times.

“These are perhaps the most important countries in the region in terms of their security, economic, demographic, religious and diplomatic influence,” said political analyst Richard Weitz from the Hudson Institute.

… “Iran is the next big market in the Middle East, and China is keen to get in on the ground floor,” said Middle East expert James Dorsey from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.