The 136th Canton Fair is currently in full swing. On October 18th, the China (Guangdong) and GCC Countries Economic and Trade Matchmaking Event was held at the Canton Fair Complex, attracting over 600 entrepreneurs to participate and seek new opportunities for economic and trade cooperation.
The event showcased Guangdong's distinctive industries highly favored in the Middle East, including automotive manufacturing from Guangzhou, electronic communications from Shenzhen, home appliances from Foshan, mobile phones from Dongguan, and lighting fixtures from Zhongshan.
Osama Alrefaei, the General Manager of Alrifai Trading Company in Saudi Arabia and an old friend of the Canton Fair, told GDToday that his company has already placed a batch of orders, with a focus on purchasing building materials. Additionally, his uncle has also arrived at the fair to search for products.
Osama commented on the rapid economic growth he has observed in China, emphasizing the technological advancements and the speed of development. "The Canton Fair, which used to be held in an old building, is now the largest fair in the world. We initially started with home textiles, and then expanded to furniture, and eventually ventured into construction and home appliances.
Osama indicated that his company has various product categories, including auto parts. "We aim to engage in the electric vehicle business. I hope our company will introduce electric vehicles to the Middle East."
Bai Yun, Vice President of Business at Telling Telecommunication Holding, noted the potential for vibrant consumer services between China and the Middle East. He emphasized China's vast consumer base and mature e-commerce environment, along with the young demographic and high per capita income in the Middle East. This creates substantial potential for deeper collaboration in digital payments, online retail, and logistics.
"The Middle East has the greatest market potential. With the development of the economy and the improvement in consumption levels, there is also a growing demand for Chinese consumer goods."
Du Min, Deputy General Manager of Global-Ucar Technology, shared that the company has strategically positioned itself across the Middle East by leveraging overseas subsidiaries, warehouses, sales showrooms, and after-sales service stations. Du introduced that in the Middle East, Global-Ucar has established a wholly-owned subsidiary in Dubai, UAE. Currently, it has become the leading overseas entity layout for the company. In the future, the company will establish its headquarters for overseas development, focusing on three product lines: new cars, second-hand cars, and second-hand construction machinery.
In the first three quarters of this year, Global-Ucar Technology has exported 7,890 units. GCC member countries accounted for over 60% of exports. The export value is nearly 1 billion yuan.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which comprises Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain, is a regionally significant organization with substantial international influence and economic power. China's economic cooperation with the GCC has yielded fruitful results, with bilateral trade reaching $285.94 billion in 2023, including $112.75 billion in exports from China and $173.19 billion in imports.
Reporter: Hu Nan from GDToday, Tang Zitian from Nanfang Daily
Video: Deng Yingheng from GDToday, Dong Tianjian from Nanfang Daily
Editors: Nina, James
