Asia, Africa and Middle East CommitteeIncoming Visitors

A huge thank you to everyone who made our first joint-chambers Halal Happy Hour on August 26 a resounding success! It was a pleasure to collaborate with the Bangladesh Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong and Macau, and the Pakistan GBA Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong.

We were honoured to have HKGCC LegCo Representative, the Hon Jeffrey Lam, and are grateful for the support of Saeed Uddin, Chairman of the Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Communication Fund of Hong Kong. The event was a very useful networking evening filled with meaningful exchanges.

As Hong Kong strengthens its status as the world’s third most Muslim-friendly destination outside non-Islamic economies, we are proud to foster inclusivity and to create diverse networking events for professionals to connect. We can’t wait to see you at the next one!

We were honoured to welcome Ferial Mostofi, First Vice-Chairman, Tehran Chamber of Commerce Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA), to the Chamber on 25 August for talks on strengthening economic ties between Iran and Hong Kong. She was accompanied by Mostafa Shabanipour, Consul, Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Hong Kong and Macao, and Reza Ghotb, Managing Director, K.D.D. Group.

Mostofi highlighted promising areas for expanding trade and investment, such as energy, agriculture, technology and manufacturing. She noted that Iranian companies were well-positioned to meet the growing demand in Chinese markets by enhancing both quality and capacity. 
 

It was a pleasure to welcome Haruyuki Yada, Director-General, Planning Department, JETRO Headquarters along with his colleagues, to the Chamber on July 7. They were greeted by Chamber CEO Patrick Yeung, General Committee member Edmond Yue, and Asia, Africa & Middle East Committee Chairman Dewan Saiful Alam, who shared views on current investment landscape and business environment for foreign companies in Hong Kong.

The visitors were eager to get an in-depth analysis of the Hong Kong economy, along with the GBA, given the imposition of tariffs and other protective measures by the U.S. and how it is affecting business sentiment. Hong Kong has been diversifying its markets by expanding into emerging markets. Finance and professional business services are relatively unaffected by protectionism and continue to grow.

U.S. companies continue to maintain a strong presence in Hong Kong, with the number of their offices increasing steadily since 2022 to rank third -- behind only those from mainland China and Japan. Alam emphasized Hong Kong’s pivotal role within the Greater Bay Area, where businesses can benefit from streamlined processes, access to top-tier talent, favourable regulations, and an advantageous tax system. Additionally, the implementation of CEPA 2.0 in March 2025 provides foreign companies in Hong Kong with further opportunities to access preferential policies and expand into the mainland Chinese market.