The 139th Canton Fair International Business Resources (Middle East) Matchmaking Event Successfully Held

On April 17, 2026, the 139th Canton Fair International Business Resources (Middle East) Matchmaking Event was successfully held in Guangzhou.

The event, themed "Adapting for the Future, Seizing Opportunities in the Middle East," was organized by China Foreign Trade Centre Group Co., Ltd. and co-organized by China International E-commerce Co., Ltd. It brought together government think tanks, Middle East experts, e-commerce platforms, and corporate representatives to deeply analyze the structural transformation trends in the Middle East market, building a high-standard, high-efficiency, and pragmatic bridge for Chinese enterprises and their Middle Eastern partners.

Wang Cheng, Research Fellow at the West Asia and Africa Institute of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation (CAITEC) under the Ministry of Commerce; Rong Fei, eWTP Business Director of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group; Professor Ding Long, Deputy Director of the Middle East Studies Institute at Shanghai International Studies University; Gui Yiling, Asia Pacific Head of Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC); Sun Tianshuo, Head of South China Region for Middle Eastern e-commerce platform Noon; and Cai Shangting, General Manager of the Small and Medium Enterprises & Inclusive Finance Department for Mastercard Greater China, provided in-depth interpretations of the new dynamics in the Middle East market from the perspectives of industry practice and academic research.

The high-level dialogue session was moderated by Zhao Lei, Head of the Industry Promotion Department at the China International Electronic Commerce Center (CIECC). Five industry experts, including Li Xiang, General Manager of 1688 Overseas E-commerce Business at Alibaba; Liu Yixin, Managing Director of the Saudi Ajabr Family China Office; Yan Luhui, Founder & CEO of Carbonstop (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd.; Yao Jie, General Manager of Yuanchu West Asia Group; and Lu Ming, Representative of the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce in Beijing and Head of the Iran China City, engaged in in-depth discussions on five core issues for enterprises expanding overseas: cultural localization, regulatory compliance, ESG standards, supply chain resilience, and localized operations.

A highlight of the event was the specially arranged open business negotiation session. Chinese and foreign enterprises conducted efficient face-to-face matchmaking, fully demonstrating the organizers' efforts to break through traditional exhibition and trade facilitation models and build a full-chain professional service system covering pre-event preparation, in-event matching, and post-event follow-up.

The 139th Canton Fair International Business Resources (Middle East) Matchmaking Event concluded successfully. Institutions such as the China International Electronic Commerce Center and the China Foreign Trade Centre, leveraging their resource integration and professional service capabilities, injected lasting certainty and strong growth momentum for Chinese and foreign enterprises to explore new blue oceans and build a new future amidst changing circumstances.