Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s first official visit to the Middle East underscores Hong Kong’s efforts to compete for investment and talent in the financial services, technology and logistics sectors. He is accompanied by 30 big hitters from those fields on his weeklong trip to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to a list provided by sources who did not wish to be identified. They include the Hong Kong stock exchange’s boss, Nicolas Aguzin , China International Capital Corporation’s chief executive, Huang Zhaohui, Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation chairman Sunny Chai, and Cathay Pacific Airways’ chief executive Ronald Lam. The mix of delegates, who will promote the city to Arab political and business elites, indicates the industries the Lee administration aims to emphasise and advocate to anchor Hong Kong’s development as it accelerates its return to the global stage. Financial sector leaders As well as CICC’s Huang and HKEX’s Aguzin – who facilitated the signing of an agreement between Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing and Saudi Tadawul Group Holding Company to work together on cross listings and other areas of interest – a number of other financial leaders are in Lee’s delegation. Standard Chartered Bank’s Asia chief executive Benjamin Hung is one. He is chairman of both Standard Chartered Bank China and Standard Chartered Bank Singapore, as well as an adviser to the HKEX, which operates Hong Kong’s bourse. BOC International’s chief executive Li Tong, HSBC’s Hong Kong chief executive Luanne Lim, and Amy Lo, chairman of the executive committee of the Private Wealth Management Association and head of UBS Hong Kong, are along for the ride too. Shan Weijian, executive chairman of investment firm PAG – which manages more than US$50 billion of assets, and David Yu, chairman of Yunfeng Capital which he co-founded with Alibaba Group Holding co-founder Jack Ma, also flew out to the Middle East, as did Doris Lian, chairwoman of the Chinese Asset Management Association of Hong Kong. Tech company representatives Shing Chow, founder and chief executive of Lalamove, an on-demand logistics platform, represents the intersection of technology and logistics. He founded the company in Hong Kong, and it now serves 14 million users providing 24/7 delivery services by van, lorry and motorbike in China under the brand Huolala and in more than 40 cities across Asia and Latin America. Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company, which aims to nurture local tech start-ups by building an innovative digital community, sent its chairman Simon Chan on the trip. James Law, chairman and chief executive of Cybertecture, an architecture and planning firm that designs digital spaces such as those found in the metaverse, is also part of the delegation. George Lam, co-chairman of the Hong Kong Aerospace Technology Group, is there too. Logistics sector Jack So, chairman of the Airport Authority of Hong Kong, which operates Hong Kong International Airport, is on the trip. He served as chairman of the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council from 2007 to 2015. Cliff Zhang, chairman of Bravo Transport, the largest franchise bus operator on Hong Kong Island, appears on the list too. The company serves more than 1.2 million passengers a day through its subsidiaries Citybus and New World First Bus. The delegation includes Eric Ip, group managing director of Hutchison Port Holdings, and Adrian Cheng, chief executive of local property giant New World Development. Cheng is also an executive director of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group and NWS Holdings, and the group chief executive officer of CTF Education Group.