Dubai, UAE — April 2026 — The World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit kicked off today in Hong Kong, along with the opening of InnoEX, one of the city’s flagship technology fairs. The dual events underscore Hong Kong’s growing role as a regional and global innovation and technology hub.
Speaking at the WIC Asia-Pacific Summit this morning, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee welcomed more than 1,000 high-profile participants from some 50 countries and regions.
The Summit, hosted by Hong Kong for the second consecutive year, runs under the theme “Digital and Intelligent Empowerment for Innovative Development – Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace.”
GSMA ’s Chief Executive Officer John Hoffman said in an address that the most critical and important focus areas nowadays are foundation, capabilities, and cooperation.
UAE-Hong Kong relations have deepened significantly through a robust framework of bilateral agreements and MOUs. Key pacts include an Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, a double taxation avoidance agreement, and multiple fintech MOUs between Hong Kong’s monetary and securities authorities and their counterparts in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Notable recent collaborations include a 2023 Digital Trade Corridor agreement between the ADGM and HKMA, and a 2023 MOU between Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism and Hong Kong’s Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau to promote cross-border trade, family offices, fintech, and green finance.
The opening of Hong Kong’s Economic and Trade Office in Dubai and numerous MOUs between trade bodies, technology parks, and chambers of commerce, covering artificial intelligence, green tech, and innovation, underscore a growing strategic partnership. Total merchandise trade between Hong Kong and the Gulf Cooperation Council reached nearly $20 billion in 2024.
In an address, Lee highlighted Hong Kong’s unique advantages under the “one country, two systems” framework, including its robust common law system and free flow of information, capital, goods, and talent. He noted that the National 15th Five-Year Plan, approved last month, continues to champion Hong Kong’s development as an international I&T hub.
The top official also pointed to concrete I&T milestones, including the official opening of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone in December, which has already attracted more than 70 tenants in key sectors such as artificial intelligence, life and health technology, and new energy.
Lee further noted that the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster topped the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Global Innovation Index last year, rising to number one globally.
InnoEX, jointly organised by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau of the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, is being held concurrently with the Hong Kong Electronics Fair from 13 to 16 April at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Together, the four technology fairs this April, including the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair and Smart Lighting Expo later this month, bring together over 3,700 exhibitors from 28 countries and regions.
InnoEX showcases a wide spectrum of innovation and technology achievements and industry applications, offering businesses collaboration opportunities and the latest market developments.
The WIC, established as an international organisation on July 12, 2022, and headquartered in Beijing, was jointly initiated by the Global System for Mobile Communication Association, the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordination Center of China, the China Internet Network Information Center, Alibaba Group, Tencent, and Zhijiang Lab.
Lee concluded by thanking the WIC for its trust in Hong Kong, saying: “Hong Kong looks forward to working with partners around the region, and across the world, to help shape a digital future built on openness, innovation and inclusivity.”
