Ahlan wa Sahlan - Arabia calling...

When non-stop flights were introduced from Asia to Europe, the Middle East became a place you flew over or round! A region that was deemed unsafe politically, economically and socially. A barren desert where there was little business to be done. A perception that every Middle Easterner was a terrorist. A place the community just did not understand.
I would display total naivety if I then went on to say that actually everything was perfect in that area of the world. It would be like saying that the whole of Eastern Europe never has any problems, or that Spain doesn't really have a separatist problem and so on. The point, for us in Asia, is this. The Middle East is often viewed as a single "country" for want of a better term, with one area being much like the next, in the same way that people outside our own Asian region often consider "China" to be one country - when in reality it is made up of many different municipalities, provinces, Free Trade Zones and Special Administrative Regions - all with different characteristics.
Today there are parts of the Middle East that have matured, that want to do business with the East and by the same token wants the Middle East to do business with it. They are peopled by young, enthusiastic, well-educated Arabs who want to dispel the old notions and perceptions.
Take the GCC countries of the Middle East region. A loose federation of Gulf States and Saudi Arabia - not a huge population, around 33m, but enormous wealth and much of it looking for a home. And far different from Iraq and Iran for example. I have mentioned the Arab investors before (See: Arabian Knights: The New Silk Road), pointing out that they are coming to the region themselves looking for opportunities, and it is heartening to see one of Hong Kong's leading companies seeing the possibilities.
I hope that examples like this will spur on other companies looking for new markets and opportunities; but do it with your eyes wide open. The Hong Kong hinterland, and other cities north of here all offer opportunities that we do not want to lose, but it is not the only developing business centre and while we have the close attention of the Arab investors, it would be a shame to let it pass us by...and you will be welcome - Ahlan wa Sahlan.