Many leading Gulf business families are considering Hong Kong as a base for expanding into Asia. What makes it such a compelling choice?
That was my opening question in a recent conversation with my good friend Ronald Chan, Founder and CIO of Chartwell Capital, where I have the great pleasure of serving as Senior Adviser.
Ronald’s response began with trade. Hong Kong was the world’s fifth-largest merchandise trading economy in 2025 handling almost US$1.6 trillion in goods. Many Gulf merchant families trace their origins to trading and the instinct for doing business across borders remains central to their outlook.Much of Hong Kong’s trading activity involves electronics and technology.
For an established business in the UAE or Saudi Arabia, the opportunities extend from sourcing products to finding technology partners and developing new ventures.Hong Kong’s strength as a financial hub is another important advantage bringing commercial relationships together with capital and investment expertise. Its deep connections to mainland China and across ASEAN give practical substance to its description as the ‘super-connector’.
The growing links with the Gulf are already visible. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) has opened an office in Riyadh while reciprocal ETF listings allow investors in Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia to access each other’s markets directly.
My ongoing discussions with Gulf merchant families suggest considerable scope to build on this momentum. The opportunities run both ways with their entrepreneurial experience and regional knowledge offering much to Asian partners looking to establish themselves in the GCC.
The foundations are already in place through existing trade relationships between the Gulf and Asia. The potential to build on them is enormous. The next chapter is to deepen those ties through investment, technology and commercial partnerships with Hong Kong playing a key connecting role.
