On May 19, the 2025 China Hainan Free Trade Port-UAE Promotion Conference was successfully held in Dubai. Co-hosted by the People’s Government of Hainan Province and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the UAE, and organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Hainan Committee and the Hainan Chamber of the China Chamber of International Commerce, the event was supported by Dubai Chambers and the China-Asia Economic Development Association.

The conference brought together over 250 participants, including senior officials from the UAE and Hainan governments and free trade zones, business leaders, and media representatives. Focusing on trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, the event explored cooperation in key sectors such as new energy, finance, biopharmaceuticals, healthcare, and agarwood, injecting strong momentum into the Hainan Free Trade Port’s role as an innovative hub for China-UAE economic and trade relations.

The 2025 China Hainan Free Trade Port-UAE Promotion Conference is held in Dubai.

In his opening address, Feng Fei, Secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee highlighted the province's firm commitment to creating a free trade port with a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment and "zero tariffs, low tax rates, and a simplified tax system" at its core. He further emphasized that Hainan would focus on promoting in-depth cooperation with the UAE in the digital economy and green energy. Chinese Ambassador to the UAE Zhang Yiming pointed out that the open policies of the Hainan FTP are highly consistent with the UAE's "50-Year Development Plan," and the cooperation between the two sides will set a new benchmark for China-Middle East economic and trade cooperation.

Abdulla Al Saleh, Under-Secretary of Foreign Trade and Industry at the UAE Ministry of Economy, said that the UAE will actively link in with the Hainan FTP's financial liberalization and cross-border trade facilitation policies and jointly explore innovative cooperation models in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence and blockchain. Dr. Ali M. Al-Khouri, Secretary-General of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the UAE and Chairman of the Arab Federation for Digital Economy, Marwan Al Marri, Regional Director of Asia from Dubai Chambers, and Omar Al Muhairi, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs at DP World Group, expressed their confidence in the cooperation prospects between the UAE and the Hainan FTP. They emphasized that governments, industrial parks, and trade promotion organizations from both sides should play an active role in bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

At the event, the Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development provided a systematic breakdown of the advantageous policies and development opportunities of the Hainan FTP. Meanwhile, Hainan Provincial Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau and the Danzhou Municipal Government conducted thematic presentations on financial opening pilot initiatives, cross-border capital flows, and new investment opportunities in the Danzhou-Yangpu Economic Circle, respectively. In a bid to promote bilateral cooperation, representatives from Mingyang Group, Qilu Pharmaceutical, Mellser International Medical Center, and the Hainan Agarwood Industry Association shared information about Hainan's distinctive industries, specialty products, and plans to expand into the Middle Eastern market.

During the event, four strategic cooperation agreements were signed between Hainan and enterprises from the UAE and Saudi Arabia, covering areas such as new energy, logistics park development, automobile trade, and headquarters establishment. A dedicated business matchmaking session followed, connecting more than 100 companies from China and Arab countries and leading to multiple preliminary cooperation agreements.

The event not only enhanced UAE stakeholders’ understanding of the Hainan Free Trade Port but also established a long-term cooperation mechanism, laying a solid foundation for the high-quality development of China-Arab economic relations.