Saudi Arabia is reportedly developing ballistic missile technology with Chinese expertise and assistance.

The revelation was made by the American CNN citing sources from the US intelligence services.

A US satellite has detected ballistic missile production materials at at least one location.

Saudi Arabia is the country that converted the dollar into the world‘s reserve currency when it agreed in 1973 to conduct oil transactions in dollars.

Saudi Arabia has procured ballistic missiles from China since 1988 but this is the first time it has attempted to develop and build them itself.

The US believes that this revelation will provoke areaction from Israel and Iran, countries that directlycompetewith Saudi Arabia and also manufacturetheir own ballistic weapons.

China, on the other hand, describes and considers Saudi Arabia as a “strategic partner” with whom it“maintains close relations in all areas, including the military“.

China denies that its relations with the Gulf country violate international law or the rules of arms trafficking.