The 137th Canton Fair: Strengthening Middle East Trade Ties with Successful Promotion Events

GUANGZHOU, China, March 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The 137th Canton Fair is coming this April. Recognized as the largest trade fair in China, the fair successfully conducted a Middle East roadshow in February, with trade promotion events in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

“The Canton Fair provides a one-stop service platform for the global business community to trade commodities, exchange ideas and align rules and policies. The 137th Canton Fair will open on April 15, and we cordially invite Middle East enterprises to join the exhibition to strengthen cooperation and achieve win-win with global business partners,” said Ma Fengmin, Deputy Director General of China Foreign Trade Centre.

On February 13, the 137th Canton Fair Promotion Workshop was successfully held in Doha. Ali Saeed Bu Sharbak Al Mansori, the Acting General Manager of the Qatar Chamber (QC), praised the strong Qatar–China relations, noting China’s importance as one of Qatar’s most important trade partners and the noticeable developments in various fields, especially in economic and trade sectors. He emphasized the significance of the Canton Fair and Qatar Chamber’s commitment in fostering business ties and partnerships between Qatar and China. GAC (Guangzhou Automobile Group) highlighted the Canton Fair as a bond of friendship and a bridge for trade, encouraging the Qatari business community to attend the Canton Fair.

The Canton Fair working group also visited manufacturing group QIMC, home furniture chain Nabina Group, premium department store Blue Salon and Doha Exhibition and Convention Center.

On February 16 and 17, the Canton Fair working group hosted two promotion conferences in Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and over 130 local representatives attended the conferences to exchange ideas and promote trade cooperation. He Song, Minister-Counsellor for Economic and Commercial Affairs at the Chinese Embassy in Saudi Arabia, stated that bilateral trade between China and Saudi Arabia has significantly expanded in recent years. Saudi Arabia’s exports to China are extending from traditional energy to diversification, while China’s exports to Saudi Arabia, including mechanical and electrical equipment, automobiles, new energy products, and IT equipment, are also becoming increasingly abundant. Saudi buyer representative highlighted the Canton Fair’s importance for sourcing goods, expanding business, and giving Saudi factories a global platform. Midea expressed that the Canton Fair serves as a global opportunity engine, accelerating the building of mutual trust and promoting shared growth. ToGo power said that the Canton Fair is an excellent platform for finding new suppliers, developing exclusive product lines, and establishing strategic partnerships.

Subsequently, the working group continued to visit the local home furniture retailer Saco and retail enterprise Bin Dawood, and attended the Big 5 exhibition, where they engaged with some of the exhibitors.

In Dubai, the 137th Canton Fair Promotion Conference held on February 19 was attended by about 100 partners and guests. Wang Xiaojia, Counsellor of the Chinese Consulate-General in Dubai, highlighted the strengthening economic ties between China and the UAE. The Canton Fair has become a premium platform for deepening cooperation between two countries. UAE enterprises are welcomed to join the 137th session and further expand business cooperation. Danube Group Vice Chairman and Milano Founder Anis Sajan reflected on his long-standing attendance at the Fair since the early 2000s, commending China’s robust supply capabilities and the event’s role in gathering global business opportunities. Haricharan DTP, Haier Gulf Electronics LLC sales Director, noted that the Canton Fair provides a window for communication, a stage to showcase the strength and image of the enterprise, and promotes technological innovation and industrial upgrading.

The working group visited Dubai World Trade Centre, port and logistics enterprise Gulftainer, Expo Centre Sharjah, retailer LULU, overseas warehouses of cross-border e-commerce companies as well as Gulfood tradeshow.

As an important milestone in building the online platform of the fair, the Canton Fair App now brings integrated online and offline experience for exhibitors and buyers, and serves as a 365-day, uninterrupted business matchmaking platform.

The 137th Canton Fair will be held from April 15 to May 5, 2025 in Guangzhou. To download the Canton Fair App, please visit https://cief.cantonfair.org.cn/en/app/appintro.html.