Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu begins a busy round of meetings in Doha today with Qatari officials after arriving on Saturday night with a 50-strong delegation, comprised of Hong Kong and Chinese mainland entrepreneurs, to explore business opportunities and attract investment.
In a social media post late on Saturday evening on arrival in the Qatari capital, Lee said he looks forward to creating new opportunities for Hong Kong enterprises, attracting Middle Eastern investment to the special administrative region and promoting the alignment of local industries, such as finance with Middle Eastern markets.
The Hong Kong delegation is in Qatar on the first stop of a six-day visit that will also take in Kuwait. It’s Lee’s second trip to the Middle East since taking office.
The chief executive said the SAR will sign multiple memoranda of understanding with Qatar and Kuwait, covering trade, aviation, research, legal services and education.
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The delegation’s itinerary is packed with high-level engagements. It will visit the Qatar Investment Authority today before meeting with the country’s leadership, including Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani. The visitors will also attend a luncheon hosted by Standard Chartered Qatar.
The delegation, which includes Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun, and Commissioner for Belt and Road of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau Nicholas Ho Lik-chi, was welcomed on arrival in Doha on Saturday evening by Qatar’s Director of Protocol Ibrahim Yousif Abdullah Fakhro and Chinese ambassador to Qatar, Cao Xiaolin.
Lee expressed enthusiasm for the trip, stating: “We’ve just arrived tonight and will begin work immediately tomorrow. We’ll have a brief meeting to prepare for the day ahead.”
He emphasized the goal of fostering business partnerships under the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s development plan.
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Lee said the trip is also aimed at leveraging Hong Kong’s strengths under “one country, two systems”, linking the mainland with the world and helping Chinese enterprises to go global.
“The Middle East holds immense potential, and we’ll continue to seize business opportunities for Hong Kong, contribute to our nation’s development, and create win-win prospects for the world,” he said.
The Hong Kong delegation will leave Qatar for Kuwait tomorrow evening before returning to Hong Kong on Thursday.
