EICN MENA: Centres of Excellence – hub cities in focus

Business hub locations such as Dubai and Hong Kong strive to provide an environment that is conducive to attracting investment and talent. Their governments work hard to provide attractive market opportunities, supportive legal and regulatory systems, technological readiness and a facilitative infrastructure.

Liveability is also in focus for hub locations in a world in which talent is increasingly mobile and in which rival cities vie for attention and influence. Hong Kong remains one of the world’s most important international financial centres, despite recent political and reputational challenges.

Regional rivals such as Shanghai, Shenzhen and Singapore are unable to fulfil its role as a nexus for financial flows between China and the global economy, with Hong Kong’s mainland connections enshrined in the “one country, two systems” principle.

Sophisticated infrastructure, free-port status and favourable policies on foreign investment, taxes, trade and exchange controls have helped to propel Hong Kong’s business environment into the global top 10, according to the EIU’s Business Environment Index, ahead of Ireland, the UAE, UK and France.

However, the anti-extradition-law protests of 2019-2020 and Hong Kong’s more recently introduced Article 23 security law raised fears about civil liberties in the region, triggering an exodus of investment and talent. Now Hong Kong’s leadership is keen to re-establish its credentials as a regional business and investment hub, and the Middle East is foremost among its target source markets.

Join us, regional business leaders and the Director-General of InvestHK at this special EICN event: Centres of Excellence. We will share our business environment and liveability assessments of hub locations in the Middle East and East Asia, with special focus on doing business in Hong Kong.