Hangzhou – China
The first China-Arab Digital Dialogue , organized by the Arab Federation for Digital Economy in Hangzhou as part of the GDTE 2026 World Digital Trade Fair, witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Federation and Jinpin (Tianjin) Management Consulting Company , to cooperate in developing the business of the ( Arab Food Hub ) platform and opening new channels for cross-border food trade between Arab and Chinese markets.
The memorandum was signed on behalf of the Arab Federation for Digital Economy by Dr. Mohammed Al-Qurash, a member of the Federation’s Board of Directors , and on behalf of the Chinese side by Mr. ( Wan Xiaowen ) , representative of the ( Jinpin ) Foundation , in the presence of representatives from the League of Arab States, the Federation and the Federation’s office in China.
The agreement comes within the framework of developing the ( Arab Food Hub ) platform as a digital platform specializing in supporting food trade and linking companies, suppliers, buyers and related service providers within a digital environment that contributes to facilitating and increasing the efficiency of cross-border trade operations.
The cooperation with the Chinese side aims to benefit from the expertise and business networks available in China to support the access of companies and food products to markets, and to explore trade opportunities between Arab and Chinese companies, in addition to employing e-commerce and digital tools to facilitate the link between supply and demand and to transform trade opportunities into actual transactions that can be implemented .
The Chinese market is of particular importance to the platform as one of the world’s largest markets for food trade and consumption, while the Arab region represents a vast and diverse market heavily reliant on international trade to meet its food needs. This collaboration opens avenues for developing two-way trade, both by facilitating access for Arab products and suppliers to the Chinese market and by connecting Arab companies with suitable sources, products, and business opportunities in China.
The Union’s vision for the ( Arab Food Hub ) platform is not limited to providing an electronic marketplace for displaying products, but rather aims to build a digital system that helps to address a number of elements of actual trade, including verification of trading parties, logistics, inspection, insurance, customs, and payment and settlement mechanisms , in order to support trust between the seller and the buyer and reduce the complexities associated with cross-border food trade.
The collaboration with Jinpin also represents an opportunity to test and develop a Chinese-Arab trade route within the platform, and to leverage Chinese corporate networks and trade relationships to reach suppliers and buyers and identify products and sectors that can provide practical opportunities for trade exchange.
The project is also linked to one of the strategic challenges of the Arab region, which is food security ; as technology and digital platforms can contribute to expanding and diversifying supplier networks, improving access to markets, and increasing the transparency and efficiency of business operations, without of course replacing the broader policies and investments related to production, supply chains, and food security.
The signing of the agreement comes within the Arab Union for Digital Economy’s direction to transform cooperation with Chinese institutions into specific and follow-up business projects and paths , and to benefit from Chinese capabilities in e-commerce and digital platforms and link them to the Arab initiatives that the Union is working on.
The agreement also represents one of the practical outcomes of the China-Arab Digital Dialogue in Hangzhou, which aims to build more direct bridges between companies and markets on both sides, and to move from identifying opportunities to developing mechanisms and projects through which these opportunities can be transformed into actual trade, investment and partnerships between China and the Arab world .
