Some small but oil-rich Mideast countries are at present flush with cash because of high oil prices.  It only makes sense that they would seek high-yielding investment opportunities for all that extra money.  Tiny but wealthy Bahrain has been seeking to leverage their energy-markets knowledge and experience by building "Energy Cities" which are in some ways similar to a cross between the old "Company Towns" of Britain and the US and a Disney theme park devoted to everything Energy.  Sounds like a place the ChinaCoalWatcher would hang out.  They've already built Energy City Qatar, and India, and now China gets one on the outskirts of Beijing.

From Gulf Daily News:

Bahrain-based Islamic investment bank Gulf Finance House (GFH) yesterday announced plans to create Energy City China, a $5 billion business and residential district for Asia's leading energy companies.

... The 13.4 square kilometres Energy City China development, located in the Yanjiao business district, 30km from the heart of Beijing, will house a purpose-built, integrated business centre constructed specifically to meet the needs of local and international energy companies.

... "With more than 50 per cent of that oil supply expected to come from the Middle East, China is an attractive commercial opportunity for Middle East energy companies."

Mr Jinbo said China's energy demands were expected to triple in the next 20 years.

Finally, some Chinese official admits in public the true magnitude of the energy issue.

... Key business facilities within Energy City China will include an energy 'data bank', collecting and disseminating energy-related information and data; a financial service centre, accommodating leading banking and insurance industry companies; an International Mercantile Exchange (IMEX) - a dedicated energy platform trading a range of energy products; a science and technology park and a Sino-Arab international business school, offering business education with English, Chinese and Arabic as course languages.