Morocco, guest of honor at 11th Entrepreneurs Conference of China-Arab States Cooperation Forum

Morocco is the guest of honor at the 11th Entrepreneurs Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum and the 9th Investment Seminar, held in Haikou, capital of China’s Hainan province.

In a videoed address at the opening of the Conference Monday, Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, welcomed Morocco’s designation as guest of honor of this edition, saying it reflects the Kingdom’s position as a strategic partner of China.

The official reiterated Morocco’s commitment to bolstering its economic ties with China and recalled King Mohammed VI’s historic visit to Beijing in 2016 that revitalized bilateral relations through a strategic partnership declaration.

Mezzour noted that Morocco was among the first Arab nations to join the Belt and Road Initiative. “Sino-Moroccan partnership is now tangible in industrial, energy, and logistics sectors,” he stated.

He highlighted the significant progress achieved by Morocco over the past twenty-five years under the reign of King Mohammed VI, citing the development of world-class infrastructure such as the high-speed rail line connecting Casablanca and Tangier, as well as the Tanger Med port complex.

The official also underlined Morocco’s advantageous geostrategic position at the crossroads of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, granting access to a market of 2.4 billion consumers.

Morocco is witnessing growing inflows of international investors, he said, attributing this to its policy of economic openness, reforms in the legal and financial sectors, the establishment of special economic zones such as Casablanca Finance City, and state support for promising projects for national economy.

This openness, he added, is further strengthened by regional integration policies and solid partnerships, particularly within the framework of cooperation with Arab sisterly countries, which remains a strategic priority for the Kingdom.

Mezzour proposed, in this context, the development of a Sino-Arab digital platform aimed at facilitating interactions between entrepreneurs from both sides and establishing connections between investors and project developers.

He also called for the implementation of training programs focused on artificial intelligence and the green economy to equip young talents with the skills required to meet the demands of the global market.

The official who likewise called for the creation of support mechanisms for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including dedicated investment funds and technical support to facilitate their international expansion. described these enterprises as the “backbone of Arab economies.”

Mezzour further stressed the importance of strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors to foster the exchange of expertise and benefit from China’s experience in industrial development.

The 11th China-Arab Business Conference and the 9th Investment Seminar of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, opened in Haikou Monday, are co-hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the Government of Hainan Province, the Secretariat of the Arab League, and the General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture of Arab Countries.

More than 1,000 representatives from domestic and international political and business circles are attending the event.