Opinion | Middle East visit heralds better times for Hong Kong’s economy and people

The high-profile trip to boost business links with Saudi Arabia and the UAE emphasised, above all, that Hong Kong is back

It will be the first of many overseas visits this year to renew friendships and wide-ranging ties, to promote the city’s strengths, and expand business and investment opportunities

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Published: 8:00am, 13 Feb 2023

On Saturday, I returned home from a week-long visit to the Middle East. That day, the South China Morning Post ran an editorial with the headline, “More work to be done as Hong Kong leader’s Mideast trip hints at better times ahead.”

I couldn’t agree more. The government’s work has just begun. And, yes, the week-long visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates “hints at better times ahead”.

But, more than “hints” at it, I’m confident it “heralds” better times for the economy, and the people, of Hong Kong.

A high-profile, Hong Kong business delegation accompanied me in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, in the UAE. Morning, afternoon and well into every night, we met senior government officials, corporate heads, and local political and business leaders.

It was my first overseas visit in this promising Year of the Rabbit. It will be the first of many this year – by me, the principal officials and other senior Hong Kong Inc. players. The visits will renew our friendships and wide-ranging ties with traditional partners, to promote Hong Kong’s unparalleled strengths and to expand business and investment opportunities for all concerned.

In the Middle East, we told the good stories of Hong Kong to everyone we talked to. Our key message, of course, was that Hong Kong was fully back in business. Given the deepening economic integration with our country, and the boundless prospects it offers us all, it is encouraging, we added, that the border between Hong Kong and the mainland is fully open for business and travel.