🇾🇪Today, I shared my thoughts with @SCMPNews on the Houthis’ warning that foreign businesses operating in Saudi Arabia must register with a Houthi-affiliated body in Yemen to avoid being targeted by future military strikes.
“The warning warrants serious attention, particularly near ports and energy facilities,” said Naser al-Tamimi, a senior associate research fellow at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies.
“Chinese ownership or a Hong Kong listing does not automatically confer exemption.”
But registration with the HOCC was “not automatically legal”, al-Tamimi said, adding that companies would need to conduct “careful legal and security assessments” before engaging.
“The obstacles include sanctions-related compliance risks, potential Saudi objections, disclosure of sensitive locations, and joint-venture obligations,” al-Tamimi said.
As regional tensions escalate, Hong Kong and Chinese businesses in Saudi Arabia could face rising insurance costs and disruptions to logistics and investments, according to al-Tamimi.
“The warning alone is unlikely to disrupt broader Chinese-Saudi cooperation,” al-Tamimi said. But continued Houthi strikes could “expose Beijing’s limited ability to shield Chinese assets from regional conflict”, he added.
scmp.com/business/compa…
“The warning warrants serious attention, particularly near ports and energy facilities,” said Naser al-Tamimi, a senior associate research fellow at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies.
“Chinese ownership or a Hong Kong listing does not automatically confer exemption.”
But registration with the HOCC was “not automatically legal”, al-Tamimi said, adding that companies would need to conduct “careful legal and security assessments” before engaging.
“The obstacles include sanctions-related compliance risks, potential Saudi objections, disclosure of sensitive locations, and joint-venture obligations,” al-Tamimi said.
As regional tensions escalate, Hong Kong and Chinese businesses in Saudi Arabia could face rising insurance costs and disruptions to logistics and investments, according to al-Tamimi.
“The warning alone is unlikely to disrupt broader Chinese-Saudi cooperation,” al-Tamimi said. But continued Houthi strikes could “expose Beijing’s limited ability to shield Chinese assets from regional conflict”, he added.
scmp.com/business/compa…
www.scmp.com Register or else: Houthi rebels’ fresh demands put Chinese firms in a dilemma Threat from the Yemeni militia group is rising and merits ‘serious attention’ from Chinese firms in the region, analyst says. 
