Unique Research · Event signup · April 3, 2024
The Middle East is a key Belt and Road pivot for China. Bilateral trade keeps growing; cumulative two-way investment exceeds $380 billion. Alibaba cross-border e-commerce data: for Jan–Aug 2023 vs the same period 2022, China’s top three export-destination growth rates were Africa (71.1%), Central & South America (49.2%), and the Middle East (39%). Tongcheng Travel data for the same window: fastest growth in Chinese travelers’ flight/hotel bookings went to the Middle East (141%), Africa (140%), and Central & South America (120%).
Under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, Middle East innovation and growth potential is large, with accelerators, financing, and sponsorship for firms worldwide. Vision 2030 stresses AI’s role in diversifying an oil-dependent economy. Heavy investment flows into smart-city programs and AI-driven healthcare innovation.
Middle East countries are in a critical window of economic diversification and digital transformation; AI supports and accelerates that shift. Ambition is especially clear in Saudi Arabia and the UAE using AI to drive innovation and growth.
Media report: the Saudi government plans a fund of about $40 billion to invest in AI — if formed, it would make Saudi Arabia the world’s largest AI investor.
AIM 2024 — Abu Dhabi, May 7–9
May 7–9, 2024 hosts the UAE’s Annual Investment Meeting (AIM), initiated by the AIM Foundation — a global investment conference in the UAE.
Theme: adapting to a continuously changing investment environment and unlocking new potential for global economic development. Six pillars: FDI, foreign portfolio investment, future cities, digital economy, SMEs, startups. 2024 also features a dedicated China investment forum and a Belt and Road focus forum — helping Chinese firms sense Middle East investment markets and industry circles, partner with known institutions and enterprises, understand outbound policy, and open channels.
Unique AI study camp with Partner Wu Di
Join Unique Capital Partner Wu Di (吴荻) on a Middle East gold-rush and AI exploration trip: 8 days / 6 nights deep into Saudi Arabia and the UAE — “two countries, three core cities” — from Chinese outbound to giant investment, from policy direction to local customs, exploring this still-under-cultivated land. Camp window in the Chinese title: April 28 – May 5.
Trip highlights
- 3 representative Middle East landmarks — feel the real Middle East and sense the business environment. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the region’s main markets; Jeddah (Saudi) plus Dubai and Abu Dhabi (UAE) are among the fastest-growing city samples for market study.
- 7 visit themes — full-spectrum look at Middle East potential and gold-rush opportunity:
- Government links — what direction and policy support does the Middle East offer Chinese outbound firms?
- Cross-border go-global — under Vision 2030, which outbound opportunities and advantages for Chinese industries?
- Artificial intelligence — how can Chinese AI companies deeply join Middle East tech progress and capture value?
- Capital / LPs — how to connect with Middle East sovereign funds and investors on financing goals?
- Digital cities — under dual-carbon vision, opportunities for China–Middle East smart-city building and cooperation?
- Era opportunity — how Chinese entrepreneurs seize the moment and open a new Middle East chapter?
- Looking ahead — how geopolitics and tech innovation will shape the Middle East’s future?
- 1 global investment conference — Abu Dhabi · May 7–9, 2024 · 13th UAE AIM
- 10+ known Middle East government & enterprise visits — precise gov/enterprise links for outbound and gold-rush opportunity
- 1 leading Arab-world university exchange
- 5 landmark cultural visits
Planned visits (gov / enterprise / orgs)
- Saudi Aramco — Saudi national oil company; world’s largest market-cap firm
- Huawei Saudi — Chinese national champion sharing local gov-business and startup landing intel
- Yida Capital (易达资本) — helps Chinese leading firms go global; shares investment plans for AI and other tech innovators
- Dubai Chamber Innovation Center — helps Chinese AI and tech innovators enter Dubai
- Chicpoint — leading Chinese e-commerce platform successfully outbound to Saudi; how to ride the AI wave
- J&T Express (极兔速递) — global integrated logistics; adapting to Middle East consumer markets
- SenseTime (商汤科技) — AI tech landing in Dubai
- TikTok — among Top 3 social apps by UAE user spend
- Hai Guo Tu Zhi Research Institute (海国图智研究院) — listed among global best for “AI policy & strategy research”
- China–Arab Capacity Cooperation Demonstration Park — currently the only clearly designated Belt and Road capacity-cooperation park at national level
- Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) — UAE government body attracting and promoting investment; shares layout for future Chinese AI tech and other hot directions
- Mubadala — Middle East’s 5th-largest sovereign wealth fund; in the UAE second only to ADIA; AUM $276 billion (about ¥2 trillion)
- “The Line” / NEOM future-city exhibition visit
University & landmarks
King Saud University — one of Saudi Arabia’s oldest and most prestigious universities.
- Ad Dir’iyah (德拉伊耶古城) — pearl of the Saudi dynasty; UNESCO World Heritage At-Turaif District
- Museum of the Future, Dubai — among the world’s 14 most beautiful museums
- Palm Jumeirah — world’s largest artificial island group; often called the “eighth wonder”
- Burj Khalifa — world’s tallest building; Dubai panorama
- Dubai Mall — Dubai’s leading fashion shopping destination
Detailed itinerary & registration
Day-by-day schedule and signup channel were image-only in the original Chinese post (text ends at “Detailed itinerary:”). No registration URL or fee table was extractable — do not invent. Refer to CN article images (incl. QR) for the full calendar and signup path.
20 CN tour/partner/itinerary images; attach on ingest.
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