Hong Kong's Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong delivers his speech during the LEAP Tech Conference 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 4, 2024. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)
HONG KONG – Hong Kong shares the same vision with Saudi Arabia and has the potential to act as a "super value-adder" between the Chinese mainland and the rest of the world to enhance beneficial relationships and foster global innovation collaboration, said the city’s technology chief.
Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong made the remark on Monday while visiting Saudi Arabia for the LEAP Tech Conference 2024, which runs from March 4-7 in Riyadh.
The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited co-hosted the first-ever Hong Kong Pavilion at the conference, showcasing 16 cutting-edge technologies in artificial intelligence (AI), biotech, healthtech, and green technology from Hong Kong enterprises.
Sun, in his speech at the conference, pointed out that Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia “share the same vision”, as the southern Chinese city has been proactively promoting innovation and technology (I&T) development, while the Middle Eastern country is well-positioned to emerge as a tech leader in the region.
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Given Hong Kong’s key role in bridging the Chinese mainland with the world, the tech secretary said he believes there is “much room” for deeper cooperation between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia, particularly in the fields of AI and digitalization.
Sun said Hong Kong can serve as a "super value-adder".
Hong Kong's Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong (second left) poses for photos as he officiates the opening of the Hong Kong Pavilion during the LEAP Tech Conference 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 4, 2024. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)
Through this visit, Sun Dong said Hong Kong could establish connections with various sectors, especially I&T, in Saudi Arabia, and promote cooperation in areas such as technology, investment and advanced manufacturing
“Hong Kong can pool together innovation resources from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Chinese mainland, and the world to promote I&T development, which is the best springboard for overseas enterprises to venture into the GBA, the Chinese mainland, and even the Asian markets," he said.
On the sidelines of the LEAP conference, Sun met with Bandar bin Ibrahim AlKhorayef, Saudi Arabia’s minister of Industry and Mineral Resources. He briefed AlKhorayef on Hong Kong's latest developments in the I&T, advanced manufacturing, and new energy industries, and expressed his hope to further enhance exchanges and cooperation between the two sides.
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Sun also met with Saleh Ali AlKhabti, deputy minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia, saying that Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia have been maintaining close bilateral trade relations. Through this visit, Sun said Hong Kong could establish connections with various sectors, especially I&T, in Saudi Arabia, and promote cooperation in areas such as technology, investment and advanced manufacturing.
Hong Kong's Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong (right) meets with Deputy Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia Saleh Ali AlKhabti (left) during the LEAP Tech Conference 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 4, 2024. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)
Sun, along with Hong Kong’s Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan, also met with Chen Weiqing, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of China to Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. Sun hoped that the HKSAR government would continue to work closely with the Embassy to promote the advantages of Hong Kong in building an international I&T center and exploring emerging markets.
Hong Kong's Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong (right), and Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan (left) meet with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Saudi Arabia Chen Weiqing, in Riyadh, on March 4, 2024. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)
The LEAP Tech Conference 2024, which aims to attract $11.9 billion in investments, is to support deep and emerging technologies, innovation, and cloud computing in the kingdom and worldwide.
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Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha said the investments will go toward developing Saudi digital skills and supporting tech start-ups, adding that the kingdom expects the investments will help consolidate its position as the largest market and digital economy in the Middle East and North Africa.
Of the total investments, Amazon Web Services announced a $5.3 billion investment in a new cloud zone in Saudi Arabia; Datavolt announced a $5 billion investment in Saudi data centers with a capacity of more than 300 megawatts; IBM plans to invest $250 million in a global software development center in the kingdom; ServiceNow will invest $500 million to localize its regional services in Saudi Arabia.
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Chinese companies, including Huawei, Tencent, Alibaba Cloud SCCC (Saudi Cloud Computing Company), China Mobile International, DJI, J&T Express, and SenseTime MEA, also participated in the exhibition.
With Xinhua inputs
