BEIJING, Sunday, April 20, 2025 : The 5th China-Arab States Reform and Development Forum concluded recently in Shanghai, convening over 100 delegates from China, 19 Arab countries, and the Arab League to explore new avenues for strengthening cooperation under the Global Development Initiative (GDI).
Participants engaged in wide-ranging discussions aimed at promoting innovation-driven industrial development, championing multilateralism, and fostering high-quality economic growth between China and the Arab world.
Addressing the forum, Zhai Jun, China’s Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs, reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to advancing innovation-led development and deepening open, win-win cooperation with Arab nations.
Today, China and Arab states enjoy a comprehensive and expanding partnership. Bilateral trade between the two sides reached approximately $400 billion in 2024, cementing China’s position as the Arab world’s largest trading partner.
Collaboration under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has also intensified. Notable projects include the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, which has generated nearly 9,000 direct and 80,000 indirect jobs in Egypt, and the eastern section of Algeria’s East-West Highway, a critical economic corridor built with Chinese participation.
In the United Arab Emirates, China’s Harbin Electric International Engineering and Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power have joined forces to construct the Hassyan clean coal project in Dubai—the Middle East’s first of its kind.
According to official data, more than 200 major projects in infrastructure, energy, and other sectors have been jointly initiated under the BRI framework, benefiting nearly two billion people across the two regions.
In the field of energy cooperation, the Fujian Gulei Phase II Integrated Refining and Petrochemical Project, launched in southeast China in November 2024, stands out as a landmark endeavor. With a total investment of 71.1 billion yuan (approximately $9.7 billion), the project is expected to achieve an annual output value of around 80.8 billion yuan and reach full operational capacity by 2030. It will supply 5 million tonnes of raw materials annually for downstream industries, bolstering smart and green development in the region.
Highlighting the significance of the Global Development Initiative, Khaled Mahdi, former Secretary-General of Kuwait’s Supreme Council for Planning and Development, described the GDI as a “real opportunity to reshape the landscape of global cooperation.”
He stressed the need for localized implementation of the GDI in individual countries and called for increased financing to support sustainable, long-term development goals.
