Hong Kong Unveils Ambitious Plan for Continuous Investment and Trade Expansion in the Middle East and North Africa

Hong Kong is positioning a "pipeline of non-stop investments" towards the Middle East and North Africa as part of its long-term commitment to the region, according to Sophia Chong, the executive director of the territory's trade body.

The plan encompasses six clusters comprising priority sectors that are part of the China-led Belt and Road Initiative's push to tap into high-growth industries in the region, Sophia Chong said on the sidelines of the 11th Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong.

Those clusters—unveiled in July as part of the HKTDC's 60th anniversary—include finance and professional services, global network and supply chains, technology and digital innovation, wellness and creative industries, consumer goods and lifestyle, and corporate development.

Sophia Chong noted that while ongoing conflicts, such as the war in Iran, have caused some pullback and restricted air travel—with Cathay Pacific flights to Dubai and Riyadh suspended until November 30—plans will accelerate once the conflict concludes. Trade missions targeting key Mena cities are also under consideration, she added.

Hong Kong's increasing role in Mena is underpinned by the Belt and Road Initiative, connecting Asia with Africa and Europe. This push coincides with deepening investment links between China and the UAE, marked by an agreement signed in Beijing by the UAE Ministry of Investment and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade to establish a China–UAE Business Advisory Committee.

The HKTDC currently has 51 offices globally, including five in the Middle East and Africa located in Dubai, Riyadh, Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Tel Aviv, with a new office in Cairo planned for 2027. Trade between Hong Kong and the Middle East grew by nearly a third from 2019 to 2025, reflecting the territory's ongoing market diversification efforts.