Sino-Arab Cooperation Achieves "Strong Momentum" in AI, Digital Trade, and Belt and Road Initiative

Cooperation between China and Arab countries is gaining strong momentum in exploring the potential of advanced emerging fields such as e-commerce, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence (AI). Innovation has become a key focus in bilateral collaboration in recent years.

Chinese companies have built 5G telecommunications networks in Arab nations, contributing to the improvement of digital connectivity. Chinese e-commerce platforms have gradually entered the markets of Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other Arab countries, benefiting local residents' lives.

China-Arab States Expo and Leading Companies

Last August, the Seventh China-Arab States Expo was held in Yinchuan, focusing closely on new technologies and the needs of Arab countries in AI, cloud computing, and the digital industry. Leading communications companies showcased their latest achievements in AI.

• Smart Robotics: Gu Li Dong, Vice President of Joyping (Beijing) Robot Co., Ltd., expressed his company's desire to promote their smart cooking robots (like the Chinese pancake robot) in Arab and global markets, contributing to the promotion of Chinese food culture.

• Technology in the Middle East: Zheng Tian Yue, Marketing Manager for the Middle East at Unitree Technology Co., Ltd., noted that the company has been actively developing the Middle East market since 2019, establishing production lines and collaborating with local universities and research institutes in countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait.

Figures and Cooperation Priorities

The Annual Report on the Development of Sino-Arab Economic and Trade Relations 2024, released in August, confirmed that scientific and technological cooperation has become a priority for achieving economic development and industrial transformation for both sides, especially in technological innovation, digital infrastructure construction, green energy development, and digital communications.

• Technology Transfer: The China-Arab States Technology Transfer Center, since its establishment in 2015, has achieved over 1,300 applicable technological achievements, contributed to the signing of 109 scientific and technological cooperation agreements, and helped implement Chinese technologies like smart water-saving irrigation and intelligent agriculture in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other Arab nations.

• Trade Volume: Economic and trade exchange relations have strengthened, with bilateral trade reaching approximately $407.4 billion US dollars in 2024, an increase of 2.3% year-on-year.

• Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): China has signed BRI cooperation documents for joint construction with all 22 Arab countries and the League of Arab States, and both sides have implemented over 200 major projects within the BRI framework.