When it comes to Chinese exports, most people think of the clothes and electronics shipped from the factories of places such as Guangdong.
Cheap and made by the container load, exports such as these have fuelled the dragon economy's furious economic growth, transforming much of China.
Far from Guangdong and the rest of the southern manufacturing belt, both in geography and character, another area of China is looking to enjoy its share of the spoils of the country's export boom. Ningxia Hui autonomous region, to use the official title, is particularly focusing on exports to the Middle East, and for good reason. Of the region's 6.2 million people, 36 per cent are Muslims, a legacy of the ancient trade links of the Silk Road that gave rise to the Hui ethnic minority.
Ningxia hopes to use its religious and cultural affinities to the Middle East in its aims to become a major exporter, particularly of halal food products. Last month the region's capital city, Yinchuan, hosted the first China-Arab States Economic and Trade Forum as part of its drive to improve economic ties. The forum, intended to become an annual event, was held to coincide with Ningxia's regular international investment and trade fair. Several Arab countries including the UAE took part in both gatherings.
Ningxia hopes to stimulate two-way investment and exports of commodities. "We'll turn Ningxia into an important base linking China and Arab states," says Li Rui, the vice chairman of Ningxia's government. Trade between Ningxia and the Arab world stands at a modest US$60 million (Dh220.3m) a year, just a fraction of the $107.4 billion between China and Arab states last year. Ningxia also wants to increase trade with central and South East Asia, to help cope with a drop in exports to other parts of the world, as business with Europe, Japan and the US was hit by the global financial slump.
The region's ambition fits in with China's aim of developing its western provinces, which have tended to miss out on the rapid development of the eastern and southeastern parts. Ningxia, with its quiet highways and countless villages where piles of corn are laid out as yellow blankets on the ground, has a character far removed from the seemingly never-ending industrial developments near the east coast.
The relative lack of development is perhaps partly a product of the region's isolation. It is a long way from the seaports through which much of China's exports pass. One veteran China analyst at the forum, who asked not to be identified, says this is the major stumbling block. But Ningxia has recently begun flights to Dubai, the Middle East's logistics centre, and officials say this will be a major boost for exports, providing an alternative to sending products from Tianjin port about 900km away.
Ben Simpfendorfer, the chief China economist for the Royal Bank of Scotland and author of the book The New Silk Road, says Ningxia is not going to rival China's coastal provinces in terms of total export revenues. It has a $20bn economy, compared with Guangdong's $580bn economy, and when it comes to products such as clothes and electronics, Ningxia is not likely to become significant. But Mr Simpfendorfer says its aim of selling halal food products, helped by much lower labour costs than those in the Middle East, was a sensible one, although challenges remain.
"Across the Middle East, tastes can be quite different and that will be a major challenge in trying to get their products right," he says. Other Muslim regions, among them Malaysia, are also focusing on halal exports, Mr Simpfendorfer says, adding that the South East Asian country is likely to be aided by economic and agricultural development that is "more sophisticated" than that of Ningxia. "[Ningxia] will find niche products [to export]," he adds. "This could have an important impact on Ningxia's economy because it's a small economy."
To help spark greater exports, Ma Fu, who runs the commerce department of the Ningxia government, says the region is building a 300,000 square metre small commodities centre and an industrial park for Muslim commodities, including halal food. "By doing so we'll be able to ensure purchasers feel the cost of purchasing in Ningxia is much lower than in the coastal regions," Mr Ma says. There are also opportunities outside the halal food sector, Jafar Hassan, the Jordanian minister of planning and international co-operation, said at the forum. Mr Hassan said Ningxia should also look at fields such as science and technology, fertiliser and cotton exports.
Certainly some Arab businesspeople are optimistic about what can be achieved in Ningxia. The Egyptian trader Medhat Refaei, the general manager of a company called Super Link Tec with offices in China and across the Middle East, describes it as "a promising area". Mr Refaei says it has a very strong fruit-growing sector, producing much high-quality organic produce at a low price. Crucially, the local authorities are doing their best to be helpful, he says.
"If you want to make an investment, they can support you with credit facilities," says Mr Refaei, who was exhibiting at the recent investment and trade fair and looking for opportunities to trade with the region. "They want to raise this city like Guangzhou, like Shenzhen as a trading centre."
business@thenational.ae
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Pickford (Everton), Pope (Burnley), Henderson (Manchester United)
Defenders Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Chilwell (Chelsea), Coady (Wolves), Dier (Tottenham), Gomez (Liverpool), James (Chelsea), Keane (Everton), Maguire (Manchester United), Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Mings (Aston Villa), Saka (Arsenal), Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Walker (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Foden (Manchester City), Henderson (Liverpool), Grealish (Aston Villa), Mount (Chelsea), Rice (West Ham), Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Winks (Tottenham)
Forwards: Abraham (Chelsea), Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Kane (Tottenham), Rashford (Manchester United), Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Sterling (Manchester City)
The%20specs
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Spider-Man%202
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
Company profile
Company name: Dharma
Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)
Delhi won the match by 11 runs
Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
