China and Arab countries will hold a summit in Saudi Arabia in early December, making it likely that Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit a key energy partner for the first time in nearly seven years, Bloomberg reported.

China's Consul General in Dubai, Xuhang Li, said the meeting will take place in early December.

He said the summit will include personal exchanges between Chinese and Arab leaders.

Xi Jinping is likely to use the visit to Saudi Arabia to strengthen ties, given that his last visit was in January 2016. Saudi Arabia was China's largest source of foreign oil, ahead of Russia in October.

In March, reports emerged that China and Saudi Arabia were negotiating again to settle oil deals in renminbi, a topic the two countries have been discussing for six years. This change would undermine the dollar, which has long been the default currency for pricing energy contracts around the world, raising the importance of the dollar and strengthening Washington's geopolitical influence.

Beijing seeks to deepen ties with countries in the Middle East, where it sees an opportunity to challenge the U.S. and expand economic opportunities. Last year, Beijing signed a 25-year cooperation agreement with Iran.