John Lee, chief executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), recently led a trade delegation to Qatar and Kuwait, achieving fruitful outcomes and strengthening Hong Kong's ties with both countries.

During the five-day trip, 59 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and agreements covering trade, investment, financial services, technology, law, aviation, customs, and tourism were reached. These agreements further reinforced Hong Kong's relationship with the Middle East while fostering economic and cultural exchanges with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations.

Summarizing the visit, Lee stated that this Middle East trip leveraged Hong Kong's strengths under the "one country, two systems" in connecting the Chinese mainland with the world, deepening international exchanges and cooperation, and demonstrating the synergistic power of the complementary advantages between Hong Kong and the mainland.

This visit marked Lee's second trip to the Middle East since taking office and was the first time mainland enterprises joined a Hong Kong trade delegation abroad. The delegation comprised over 30 Hong Kong business and professional leaders, along with more than 20 entrepreneurs from Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong.

Several political and business figures noted that this Middle East trip marked the first time Hong Kong's chief executive collaborated with mainland enterprises, achieving a "one plus one is greater than two" effect.

In Qatar, government departments, businesses, and institutions from the HKSAR, mainland, and Qatar reached 35 MoUs and agreements. Two of these were directly between mainland and Qatari enterprises, focusing on financial services and high-end manufacturing.

In Kuwait, 24 MoUs and agreements were reached, including four between the HKSAR government and the Kuwaiti government. The rest were business-to-business agreements spanning trade, investment, financial services, technology, law, customs clearance and mobility, aviation, and higher education.

Steve Chuang, chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, said that the trip successfully enhanced mutual understanding and opened new pathways for collaboration. He noted that Qatar and Kuwait are actively developing smart cities and renewable energy industries, which align closely with Hong Kong's focus on innovation and new industrial development.

At Qatar's Hamad International Airport, a mainland enterprise, UISEE, is advancing pilot projects for autonomous buses and driverless logistics tractors, setting a precedent for the use of autonomous driving technology in Middle Eastern airports.

This tech-focused company, which has its international headquarters in Hong Kong, is leveraging the Belt and Road Initiative platform to expand its technology and services globally through Hong Kong.

Hong Kong, the most internationalized city in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, serves as a key gateway to the mainland's vast market while also acting as a strategic hub near major Asian economies that collectively encompass half of the world's population, said Peter Lam, chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

This positioning makes Hong Kong an ideal entry point for enterprises looking to expand into mainland China, the broader Asian region, and global markets, Lam added.

Another highlight of this trip was the implementation of visa-free arrangements. During the visit, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates granted Hong Kong passport holders a 30-day visa-free stay, while Oman extended its visa-free entry policy starting May 15.

With this development, HKSAR passport holders now enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access in all six member states of the GCC, further facilitating cultural, tourism, and economic cooperation.

Hong Kong economist Leung Hoi Ming believed that Hong Kong can leverage its expertise in infrastructure financing, risk management, legal arbitration, and tax consultancy.

By collaborating with mainland enterprises, Hong Kong can participate in overseas projects, including those in the Middle East, to enhance overall competitiveness, Leung added.