The Trade Development Council (TDC) said it has been working non-stop to foster trade between Hong Kong and the Middle East, noting that firms from both regions are keen to diversify portfolios and seek new areas of growth.

Council chairman Peter Lam will be visiting Qatar and Kuwait this weekend as part of a 50-strong delegation led by Chief Executive John Lee aimed at exploring investment opportunities.

Lam was also on the government-led delegation to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in 2023.

"Since that trip, the TDC's work has never stopped, as we continued to organise exhibitions and conferences," he told RTHK in an interview.

"During the Belt and Road Summit as well as the Asian Financial Forum, we hosted dedicated sessions to help Hong Kong enterprises connect with their Middle Eastern counterparts."

Lam said he was fully confident about the SAR's future cooperative efforts with the Middle East, noting that there had been a significant increase in the number of buyers and participants from the region at TDC trade shows.

Hong Kong startups, on the other hand, can utilise their expertise in innovation and technology, smart city development and green energy, he said.

The TDC's offices in Dubai and Riyadh will continue to provide assistance for SAR firms wishing to establish a foothold in the Middle East and North African region, Lam promised.

A businessman himself, Lam is concluding his six-year stint as TDC chairman at the end of this month.

Looking back, he was pleased with the SAR's solid progress after Covid-19.

"For the past few years, Hong Kong has recorded growth not just in the number of exhibitions but also attendees," Lam said, adding that he's learnt a lot during his time with the statutory body.