Chief Executive John Lee will lead a business delegation to visit Qatar and Kuwait on May 10.

In addition to further strengthening exchanges and connections with the Middle East region in areas such as finance, trade, investment, and innovation and technology (I&T), the purpose of the visit is to promote the latest advantages and opportunities in Hong Kong to local political and business communities.

Noting that the Middle East region is experiencing rapid development with abundant capital, Mr Lee explained that the region is actively seeking to diversify risks, particularly by channelling investments into China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, aligning with the global economic shift towards the East. Qatar and Kuwait are both economically vibrant and fast-growing countries in the Middle East region, he pointed out.

Furthermore, Mr Lee highlighted that this marks his first time leading Mainland enterprises in addition to leaders from industry and commerce and professional sectors of Hong Kong in an outbound mission, aiming to leverage Hong Kong's strengths under the “one country, two systems” principle in connecting the Mainland and the world.

He stated that the visit also aims to give full play to Hong Kong's role as a super connector and a super value-adder by deepening international exchanges and co-operation, acting as a bridge to serve enterprises in going global and attracting external investment.

At the same time, it also demonstrates the complementary advantages of co-operation between Mainland and Hong Kong enterprises, creating synergies and providing comprehensive supply chain services.

Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong, Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui, Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau, Director of the Chief Executive's Office Carol Yip, Commissioner for Belt & Road Nicholas Ho and Director of Information Services Apollonia Liu will join the delegation.

Members of the delegation include more than 50 representatives from Hong Kong’s business community and Mainland enterprises.

This includes over 30 leaders from industry and commerce and professional sectors of Hong Kong and over 20 entrepreneurs from Mainland provinces such as Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong. The delegation spans fields including finance, industry and commerce, trade, infrastructure, I&T, energy, and transport and logistics.

Mr Lee will visit Qatar on May 11 and 12 and depart for Kuwait on the evening of May 12.

During the visit, he will meet with local government leaders to enhance communication and establish collaborative consensus, enabling businesses to clearly understand the policy directions of co-operation between the Hong Kong SAR Government and the governments of both countries, and leading the promotion of cultural exchanges.

Apart from leading the delegation to visit facilities and enterprises to gain insights into the latest developments in areas such as finance, trade, and I&T, exploring new opportunities, the Chief Executive plans to attend exchange events to introduce Hong Kong's advantages and investment opportunities to the local business community.

Mr Lee will return to Hong Kong on May 15. During his absence, Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki will be Acting Chief Executive.