The seventh China-Arab States Expo opens on Aug. 28, 2025 in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Liang Hongxin)

The seventh China-Arab States Expo opened on Thursday in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Themed "Innovation, Green Development and Prosperity," the four-day expo will focus on practical economic and trade cooperation between China and Arab states.

Marking a historic first, all 22 Arab countries are taking part, alongside delegations from China's 31 provincial-level regions, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Hong Kong, Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region.

High-level vision

He Wei, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, emphasized that China's vast market and complete industrial chain provide opportunities for global cooperation, including with Arab states, and pledged to deepen strategic alignment and economic ties.

The seventh China-Arab States Expo opens on Aug. 28, 2025 in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Zhou Hang)

Hamza Abdi Barre, prime minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia, hailed the Belt and Road Initiative as a path to shared development and expressed hope that the expo would deliver tangible results to benefit the people.

Abdulla Ahmed Al Saleh, undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism of the United Arab Emirates, said that economic and trade cooperation between the UAE and China is strong and sustained. He highlighted that the expo would serve as an important platform to deepen UAE-China cooperation and advance broader China-Arab collaboration, contributing to shared development and sustainable prosperity.

Rising enthusiasm

"I believe the China-Arab States Expo can promote both trade and friendship between China and Arab countries," said Karim Alwadi, co-founder of the Beltway Group, who has attended all seven editions of the event and noted a significant rise in the enthusiasm of Arab entrepreneurs.

The seventh China-Arab States Expo opens on Aug. 28, 2025 in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Zhou Hang)

Jamil Saif, chairman of the Arab Businessmen Forum (China), attending the expo for the second time, observed that the scale of the expo has expanded, with more countries and enterprises participating. He said the expo provides Arab chambers of commerce and their member companies with opportunities to connect with Chinese firms and expand trade relations. He hopes to explore new business and find partners for new energy products.

Jiang Qijun, a founder of a startup company from Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, presented a multifunctional intelligent agricultural robot, attracting strong interest from buyers. He hopes to cooperate with Arab countries and other Belt and Road nations to address local labor shortages in agriculture and promote smart farming development.

Platform upgrade

The expo draws more than 7,600 participants and over 2,200 enterprises and institutions from 75 countries and regions. This expo features the United Arab Emirates as the Guest Country of Honor.

The seventh China-Arab States Expo opens on Aug. 28, 2025 in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Liang Hongxin)

Key highlights include the first-ever Silk Road E-Commerce innovation and development conference, the launch of a strategic partnership mechanism with 56 companies, and new China-Arab standardization and intellectual property exchange initiatives.

A series of important reports and achievements will be released during the event, marking the expo's evolution into a high-level platform for rule alignment, knowledge sharing, and international cooperation.