On August 21, 2024, Dubai Business Forum – China was successfully held at China World Hotel, Beijing by Dubai Chambers and CCPIT Beijing. Themed "China, Dubai and Beyond: Igniting Global Trade and Investment", the forum aimed to establish a platform for enhancing trade and investment cooperation between Beijing and Dubai. The forum was addressed by Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, the UAE ambassador to China, and Guo Huaigang, Chairman of CCPIT Beijing. It brought together nearly 100 foreign dignitaries from the UAE's economic, trade, tourism, and health sectors, investment agencies, and renowned companies, alongside over 700 senior executives from 252 unicorn companies and 65 "little giant" and gazelle companies from China.
The forum focused on helping Beijing's private hi-tech companies enter the Middle Eastern market, and leveraging foreign investment to foster Beijing's high-quality development and deeper integration into global industry and supply chains. It featured 18 high-level dialogues on new trends and opportunities in AI, green technology, and medical innovation; more than 200 one-on-one negotiations; and presentations by private tech firms like Baitu Technology, Terminus, Prosperity Investment, VNET, and Mech Mind. Foreign participants of the forum visited major enterprises such as Meituan and Li Auto at industrial parks in Chaoyang and Shunyi Districts, leading to multiple cooperation agreements in tech project financing, application of technology scenarios, and intelligent equipment trade. Notably, CCPIT Beijing signed cooperation agreements with Dubai Chambers and Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, pledging to create more business and investment opportunities for companies in Beijing and the UAE. By fostering a high level of openness, these partnerships will contribute to the high-quality development of the capital city. CCPIT Beijing also invited its counterparts from Tianjin and Hebei to the forum, promoting resource sharing and coordinated development across the Jing-Jin-Ji region.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the UAE. It also ushers in a new phase of the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership. Dubai stands not only as an economic, financial, trade, tourism, logistics, MICE, and shipping center in the Middle East and North Africa, but also as a key link along the Belt and Road. The high-quality cooperation between Beijing and Dubai has broad prospects. CCPIT Beijing will leverage its bridging role to intensify interactions with relevant departments and trade promotion agencies in the Middle East to solidify cooperation in trade, energy, and infrastructure, expand cooperation in high-tech fields such as IT, AI, the digital economy, and new energy, and create more high-quality platforms.
Since the beginning of the year, CCPIT Beijing has established platforms such as Beijing-Middle East Economic and Trade Promotion, Beijing-Saudi Airport Economy Roundtable, "Discover NEOM", Beijing International Investment and Trade Conference 2024, and MachinEdge Beijing-Saudi Arabia Advanced Manufacturing Fair, serving over 800 representatives from Beijing-based private tech companies in emerging sectors like the low-altitude economy, autonomous driving, new energy, advanced manufacturing, and AI. It has also facilitated face-to-face exchanges among more than 200 representatives from Middle Eastern governments, chambers of commerce, and businesses, and organized over 200 targeted matchmaking events. Additionally, CCPIT Beijing has enabled the signing of contracts for seven projects and followed up on over 20 potential collaborations. It has also organized exchange and networking tours in the Middle East for multiple economic and trade delegations, while assisting the Saudi Public Investment Fund, Neom Investment Fund, and Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth funds in identifying suitable financial institution partners in Beijing, fostering the establishment of Middle Eastern fund projects in the city, and promoting collaboration projects in communications, airport construction, autonomous driving, and advanced manufacturing.