The Secretary-General of the Union of Arab Chambers, Dr. Khaled Hanafy, during his chairmanship of a session entitled: "China-Arab Industrial Zones", in the presence of high-level Arab and Chinese personalities and delegations of a large number of Arab countries, within the work of the eleventh Arab-Chinese Conference held in the Chinese province of Hainan during the period 27-29 April 2025, the adoption of the idea of establishing joint Chinese-Arab industrial and technological parks in various Arab countries, enjoying strategic locations near ports and logistics centers, similar to what is implemented by China's TEDA is part of Egypt's Suez Canal Economic Zone. He pointed out that this initiative is based on incubating Arab talents and integrating them with Chinese expertise in various fields, and is considered as the necessary infrastructure for these parks.
Dr. Khaled Hanafy noted that these parks will be planned with great precision, with a comprehensive master plan for each site, which includes a variety of small, medium and large units, interconnected through an input and output system, which enhances the front and back links as each complex will be linked to others in the Arab region and China, which creates a cooperative network based on each complex on four main pillars: Training and Development Unit: focuses on technical rehabilitation and cultural guidance for all employees in the complex. Market Intelligence Unit: Using big data and analytics to study current and target markets, and identify market needs. R&D unit: dedicated to adapting products to specific markets and encouraging innovation. Financing Unit: Conducting financial feasibility studies to facilitate access to financing for all units within the complex.
Dr. Khaled Hanafy explained that these INDUSTRIAL PARKS will serve as joint Arab-Chinese projects, with small units that serve as incubators for the cooperation of entrepreneurs and innovators from both regions. "The establishment of these parks and their spread throughout the Arab region will significantly promote sustainable trade, investment, and exchange between Arab countries and China. The initiative could mitigate many of the risks associated with trade wars and facilitate entry into new markets. He suggested that the Union of Arab Chambers, in cooperation with its partners, play an important role in advancing this joint Arab-Chinese endeavor.
TEDA presented the project it has been developing in Egypt since 2008, spanning an area of over seven square kilometers in the Suez Canal Economic Zone. The first phase of development, covering an area of approximately 1.34 square kilometers, has been completed, and work is currently underway on the second phase, covering an area of six square kilometers. TEDA has significantly contributed to strengthening the Egyptian economy through investments, job creation (over 70,000 jobs), sales revenues (over $4.6 billion by the end of 2024), and tax payments (over $450 million by the end of 2024).
Roundtable of Arab-Chinese Trade Promotion Organizations
The Secretary-General of the Union, Dr. Khaled Hanafy, delivered a speech at the Round Table of Chinese-Arab Trade Promotion Organizations, in which he considered that the Chinese private sector has achieved in recent years very great successes. There are Chinese models for the private sector that were not known in the past. Now China has become an attractive and pivotal point for free trade and international cooperation, and this is very prominent and important, as the Chinese political leadership today, with the Chinese private sector, has a very great desire to liberalize trade and open up to all countries. World. We in the Arab region fully believe in freedom of trade and openness, especially in light of today's global calls for openness rather than closure, and from this point of view, we extend our hands to China and the Chinese private sector in order to provide a new model to be followed in joint Arab-Chinese action.
Dr. Hanafy stressed that the Arab region is China's fourth trading partner after the United States, ASEAN countries and the European Union. He revealed that the volume of trade exchange between the Arab and Chinese sides exceeded 400 billion dollars in 2024, and this prominent and focused figure came as a result of the increase in the volume of trade exchange by one thousand percent compared to what it was two decades ago. He pointed out that we in the Arab world are ready and ready to increase this number to the level of Higher and larger to exceed 600 billion dollars in the coming years, to become the first trading partner for China, just as China is the first trading partner for the Arab world.
He pointed out that in order to strengthen relations to reach what we aspire to, a new approach must be adopted in the coming period, especially in light of the circumstances and changes in the world. Considering that the Arab region is witnessing great changes and developing, and the Arab region is currently the main supplier of energy to China, but we must not stop there, but we must follow the path, for example, through the establishment of technology parks that serve as a solid basis for the continuation of work and the joint success of the peoples of the Arab region and China. As well as the establishment of an entrepreneurship center to support entrepreneurs, innovation, and the orange economy.
He stressed that "the Arab private sector through the Union of Arab Chambers, which I have the honor to represent has completely changed for the better and there are great success stories for the Arab private sector, and therefore the Chinese private sector must pay attention to this matter and move strongly and quickly through the foundations that we put in order to bring about the desired change for both parties, taking into account that the 22 Arab countries all have a view, ports and ports on the seas and oceans, and therefore these ports can Engage in the Road and Belt Initiative and be focal points and logistics zones to promote value-added chains.
He said that China and the Arab countries can draw new corridors for trade around the world, and this is not fiction, but we can turn it into something tangible on the ground, as China launched the Supply Chain Conference and Exhibition, so yes, we can change together the supply chain routes that prevailed in the past, and the Arab region, with a population of 450 million citizens and a GDP size of more than 4.5 trillion dollars, will be a great and important partner for China through its youth energies and its strong private sector. The Arab region, which is interested in rapprochement with China and with the Chinese private sector, which has provided impressive models in recent years. There is also a political will on the Chinese side to rapprochement with the Arab world through the five oysters launched by the Chinese president to enhance cooperation with the Arab world, and we in our initiative are interested in these five oysters and we hope that there will be equal interest from the Chinese side.
The Secretary General of the Union held a series of high-profile meetings and meetings with the President of the China Council for the Development of International Trade (CCPIT), Ryu Hongbin, Jiang Zhujun, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Liu Xiaoming, Governor of Hainan Province, where they discussed ways to enhance economic, trade and investment relations between the Arab world and China, especially in promising fields and sectors, especially in advanced technology, digital economy, Internet of Things and intelligence. Artificial and big data, in addition to the sectors of industry, orange economy, entrepreneurship, innovation and other vital fields that contribute to achieving visions and goals to reach Arab-Chinese relations to the levels of strategic partnership.
Source (Union of Arab Chambers)
