Prof Frederick Ma, Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), visited Doha, Qatar, from 24 to 27 October at the invitation of the Qatari government, meeting senior officials and business leaders to deepen long-term ties between Hong Kong and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The visit matters because it signals Hong Kong's intent to position itself as a trusted intermediary for Gulf capital and trade at a time of geopolitical uncertainty, opening new avenues for investment flows between the Middle East and Asia.
During the visit, Prof Ma met Qatar's Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed, Bahrain's Minister of Industry and Commerce Abdullah bin Adel Fakhro, senior officials from Invest Qatar and the Qatar Investment Authority, and leaders from Qatar National Bank, the Qatar Foundation, the Qatar Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Qatar Development Bank. The discussions focused on infrastructure, logistics, technology and manufacturing, highlighting potential strategic partnerships that leverage Hong Kong's role as a super-connector and super value-adder.
Speaking at the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) World Investment Forum session on international investment facilitation, Prof Ma said: "Despite current geopolitical volatility, I believe it is important to reach out and build important relationships to ensure long-term economic development around the world." He emphasised that Hong Kong, under the One Country, Two Systems arrangement, combines connectivity to the Chinese Mainland and global markets with a common-law business environment, free capital flow and global standards. "This is also our core mission at the HKTDC, where our network of 51 offices worldwide helps us connect people around the world to create business success," he added.
The visit builds on HKTDC's broader push into emerging markets through business missions led by Hong Kong's Chief Executive and senior officials. Missions to Qatar and Kuwait in 2025, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in 2023, and Central Asia in June have demonstrated the value of government-to-government, government-to-business and business-to-business collaboration. In September 2026, the HKTDC featured a special Middle East Chapter and Middle East Zone at the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong, attended by some 6,200 business and government leaders from over 70 countries and regions.
The HKTDC, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub through international exhibitions and conferences, and provides market insights via research reports. For more information, visit www.hktdc.com/aboutus. The original release is available on www.newmediawire.com.
