Dubai: «The Gulf»
On March 22, Chinese and Emirati officials opened the “Shandong” week at the “Expo Dubai”, with important words they delivered on this occasion, under the slogan “The starting point of the Silk Road, the home of innovation.”
The event was opened by combining live broadcasts via the Internet, field presence, and interaction between Jinan, Shandong Province, and Dubai.
The symposium on economic and trade cooperation, which was held on the same day, highlighted practical results and cooperation in key areas: macroeconomics, logistics, petrochemicals, and photovoltaic power generation.
Ali Al Dhahiri, the UAE’s ambassador to China, said: Shandong is a major economic province in China, and the UAE and Shandong have established extensive and deep cooperation in infrastructure, tourism, food and energy.
Chinese Ambassador to the UAE Ni Jian said this cooperation with Shandong is an important part of China-UAE cooperation. In 2021, the trade volume between Shandong and the UAE amounted to about $8.3 billion, an increase of 71.5% year on year. Well-known companies in Shandong have invested in the UAE with business.
Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, indicated that the UAE, especially Dubai, is a strategic trade center that includes about 3,400 Chinese companies.
Ji Binzhang, deputy governor of Shandong Province, also expressed his hope to enhance practical cooperation in technological innovation, investment, trade, financial services, culture and art, and epidemic prevention and control.
The symposium achieved the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Industry and Information Technology Sector of Shandong Province and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and reached the strategic cooperation of the East African Trade and Logistics Center, the Ghana Petroleum Refining and Chemicals EPC project, the overseas tire warehouse in the UAE, the Dubai 10MW photovoltaic power generation project and others Other major economic and trade cooperation achievements.