Investopia was launched in November 2021 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, and His Excellency Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy. The platform brings together prominent figures from the global investment community and focuses on cooperation around investment opportunities in the new economy.
The 2025 China-Arab Entrepreneurs Summit was co-hosted by SIEF, Investopia and the UAE Ministry of Economy, with support from HSBC, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), First Abu Dhabi Bank and other institutions. The summit focused on key topics including technology innovation, investment cooperation and education. Distinguished guests including H.E. Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former Prime Minister of France; Ray Dalio, Founder of Bridgewater Associates; and Ms. Xu Xiaolan, former Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology of China, attended, and Zhao Liang, Chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in the UAE, attended on behalf of the embassy. The summit drew nearly 800 government officials, business executives and industry experts from China and the Arab world, and aimed to promote shared prosperity in the new economy through cross-cultural dialogue and cooperation.
WeCarbon–SIEF Signing Ceremony: Deepening China-Arab Industrial Cooperation
During the summit, Ms. Remoca Shi, Founder of WeCarbon, and Mr. William Wang, Chief Representative for Middle East & Africa of the Sino-International Entrepreneurs Federation, formally signed a cooperation agreement, jointly announcing the establishment of the SIEF Middle East & Africa Implementation Unit.
Figure 1: WeCarbon formally signs on as the SIEF Middle East & Africa Implementation Unit
Going forward, as the SIEF Middle East & Africa Implementation Unit, WeCarbon will drive in-depth cooperation in key areas such as technology innovation between China and the Arab world, high-level visits and exchanges, and climate action.
High-Level Dialogue: A New Chapter in China-Arab Cooperation
At the summit, H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Chairman of Investopia, gave a welcome address: "Our strategic alliance with China goes beyond trade and investment and has nurtured a strong ecosystem. Over the past decade, the UAE has become the gateway for Chinese investment in the region, using forward-looking strategies to attract global capital."
Figure 2: H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Chairman of Investopia, gives an address
Next, Mr. Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former Prime Minister of France and Co-Chairman of SIEF, gave a special address, praising the UAE as a country full of innovative spirit and stressing that "here there is no conflict, only competition, which drives innovation, and innovation is the key to the future."
Figure 3: H.E. Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former Prime Minister of France and SIEF Co-Chairman, gives a welcome address
In the keynote session, Ms. Xu Xiaolan, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee, former Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology and President of the Chinese Institute of Electronics, spoke on "Developing the Robotics Industry Together: New Opportunities in the Intelligent Era", sharing recent trends in robotics and digital transformation and discussing how open-source ecosystems drive innovation and wide adoption across the industry.
Figure 4: Ms. Xu Xiaolan, President of the Chinese Institute of Electronics, gives a keynote speech
Finance and Investment: Exploring Opportunities in the New Economy
In a China-Arab-US trilateral dialogue on finance and investment, global investment figures discussed the new economic landscape in depth. Moderated by Dr. Mohamed Bashir Kharrubi, Senior Advisor for the Middle East and Africa of the Sino-International Entrepreneurs Federation, the dialogue brought together Ray Dalio, Founder of Bridgewater Associates, and Wei Ran, Chairman of China Chengtong Fund on the theme "Investing in Innovation and Growth", exploring international cooperation among financial institutions in driving the new economy and industrial development.
Figure 5: The China-Arab-US trilateral dialogue "Investing in Innovation and Growth"
Figure 6: The China-Arab-US trilateral dialogue "Investing in Innovation and Growth"
The three investment figures from China, the Arab world and the US shared their insights on global capital flows and opportunities for international cooperation. Mr. Wei Ran, Chairman of China Chengtong Fund, said the fund focuses on finding the right local partners to tackle challenges together, including environmental issues, and spoke highly of the UAE's investment-friendly environment. Ray Dalio, Founder of Bridgewater Associates, noted that internationalization is an irreversible and accelerating trend. He stressed that national borders should not be barriers to cooperation; instead, collaboration and innovation should be driven from a global perspective to meet increasingly complex global challenges.
Education and Innovation: Shaping Future Business Leaders
Education was another highlight of the summit. Experts discussed in depth "how to build future-ready business education that helps executives worldwide not only meet today's challenges but also keep making the world better", and offered professional advice on shaping the next generation of business leaders.
Figure 7: Roundtable on the future of business education, "Unveiling Future Wisdom"
Hamad Al Mazrouei, CEO of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Registration Authority, noted that traditional recruitment struggles to keep up with fast-changing market needs, so the focus should shift to skills-based training and hiring that prioritizes capability;Dr. Marc Poulin, President of the Abu Dhabi School of Management, said that educators need to understand the resources of different cultures to foster better learning and exchange. He noted that the Abu Dhabi School of Management, together with the Abu Dhabi Chamber, the innovation hub Hub71 and Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth funds, forms an ecosystem that helps entrepreneurs and innovative companies grow.
Looking Ahead: Building Sustainable Development Together
The summit marked a new stage in China-Arab cooperation. Mr. Dong Bin, Chief Representative of the Sino-International Entrepreneurs Federation (SIEF), said: "We have gathered in Abu Dhabi, a vibrant and innovative city, to further deepen economic cooperation between China and the Arab world and explore new opportunities for development." Through continued dialogue and cooperation, China and the Arab world will play a larger role in the new global economic landscape.
Figure 8: Remarks by Mr. Dong Bin, SIEF Chief Representative (Photo: Sino-European Entrepreneurs Summit official WeChat account)
Going forward, as the SIEF Middle East & Africa Implementation Unit, WeCarbon will make full use of its strengths in artificial intelligence, carbon neutrality technology, green finance and industrial digitalization and work with partners around the world to advance in-depth China-Arab cooperation in high-level exchanges, sustainable investment and technology innovation, supporting the shared prosperity of Chinese and Arab businesses in the new economy.About the Summit and the Organizers
The China-Arab Entrepreneurs Summit (CAES) is an annual gathering of prominent business leaders from China and the Arab states. Each year it brings around 120 chairpersons and senior executives from major Chinese industries to visit Arab countries, and through high-level forums, industry forums and business matchmaking it fosters in-depth exchange between Chinese and Arab business leaders on internationalization and innovation cooperation.
The Sino-International Entrepreneurs Federation (SIEF) is a global non-profit organization founded in 2008 by Mr. Long Yongtu, China's chief negotiator for its return to GATT and accession to the WTO and former Secretary-General of the Boao Forum for Asia; Mr. Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former Prime Minister of France; Mr. Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; and Mr. John Howard, former Prime Minister of Australia. SIEF is committed to fostering connection, communication and mutual trust between Chinese and international entrepreneurs, raising the global business standing of Chinese companies and entrepreneurs, and improving multilateral trade relations between China and other countries and the global business environment.
Investopia is a global investment platform launched by the UAE leadership to bring together investors from around the world and uncover investment opportunities in the new economy.
