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(CNN)
Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Thursday for a two-day state visit amid heightened US tensions with the two countries, according to a source with knowledge. of the trip, an Arab diplomatic source and two senior Arab officials.
Xi's trip to Riyadh will include a Sino-Arab summit and a conference with the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), according to the four sources.
At least 14 Arab heads of state are expected to attend the summit, according to the Arab diplomatic source, who described the trip as a "milestone" for Arab-Chinese relations.
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The sources provided the information on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Rumors of a Chinese presidential visit to America's biggest ally in the Middle East have been circulating for months, but have yet to be confirmed by the Saudi and Chinese governments.
Beijing has not officially announced Xi's visit to Saudi Arabia.
CNN has contacted the country's foreign ministry for comment.
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Last week, the Saudi Arabian government sent out registration forms for journalists to cover the summit, without confirming the exact dates.
The Saudi government declined to respond to CNN's request for information about Xi's visit and the planned summits.
The reports about the long-awaited visit come against the backdrop of a series of US disagreements with both Beijing and Riyadh, which to Washington's dismay have only cemented ties in recent years.
The United States and Saudi Arabia remain locked in a heated dispute over oil production, which culminated in strong rhetoric and cross-accusations in October when the Saudi-led OPEC+ oil group cut production by 2 million barrels a day in a effort to "stabilize" prices.
The decision was made despite a strong US campaign against the measure.
Saudi Arabia, a staunch US ally for eight long decades, resents what it perceives as a declining US security presence in the region, especially amid growing threats from Iran and its armed Yemeni militias.
China, an economic mammoth in the east, has been at loggerheads with the United States over Taiwan, which US President Joe Biden has repeatedly vowed to protect in the event of a Chinese attack.
This sensitive issue has aggravated the precarious relationship between Washington and Beijing, which are already vying for influence in the volatile Middle East.
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As US allies in the Arab Gulf accuse Washington of failing to honor its security guarantees in the region, China has been deepening ties with Gulf monarchies as well as US enemies Iran and Russia.
Both China and Saudi Arabia have also taken different stances from the West on the war in Ukraine.
Both have refrained from endorsing sanctions on Russia.
And Riyadh has repeatedly maintained that Moscow is a key energy-producing partner that should be consulted on OPEC+ decisions.
Following last month's massive oil cut, some US officials have accused Saudi Arabia of siding with Russia and helping President Vladimir Putin in his war against Ukraine.
Saudi officials have denied weaponizing oil or siding with Russia.
Biden said in October that the United States needs to "rethink" its relationship with Saudi Arabia, which the president had apparently tried to repair during a visit to Riyadh in July.
Vowing to make the kingdom a "pariah" and condemn Crown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Biden flew to Riyadh amid global oil shortages and greeted bin Salman with a fist bump that grabbed headlines around the world.
However, the visit, ultimately icy, did not produce any increase in oil production and only aggravated tensions.
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