With Saudi Arabia hosting its first LEAP conference outside Asia in Hong Kong, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said he is eager to deepen collaboration and plans to lead a delegation to Saudi Arabia again later this year.
Chan remarked at the LEAP East 2026 on Wednesday, a global tech event, that he plans to bring leading companies in infrastructure, green tech, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing, as well as professionals in the finance, investment, and professional services sectors, to explore concrete projects and deepen collaboration between Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong.
Both places are gateways to each other's regions, Chan noted, with the capital markets already linked through mutual listings of exchange-traded funds. He said he welcomes Saudi and Gulf enterprises to leverage Hong Kong's capital markets through listings, bond issuance, asset management, or other partnerships.
Meanwhile, Chan mentioned that Hong Kong can also serve as a gateway and platform for frontier technology and advanced manufacturing businesses to settle in Saudi Arabia and expand across Europe and Africa.
"Our capital markets are growing not only in scale, but also in breadth and depth," Chan said, noting that Finance+ has turned the capital markets into an innovation catalyst. He highlighted that Hong Kong topped the world in initial public offerings in 2025, with many global tech champions.
He added that the IPO momentum is even stronger this year, as the city has become a destination for emerging Chinese and international technology companies to raise funds for global expansion.
