Hong Kong's Financial Secretary Paul Chan will lead a business delegation to Saudi Arabia later this year, following the city's hosting of the LEAP East 2026 tech conference. The trip aims to boost ties and explore collaboration under Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.
Alibaba Chairman Joe Tsai outlined the company's "all in" AI strategy at VivaTech in Paris, citing a potential $50 trillion market. He emphasized a "full-stack" investment approach across chips, cloud, models, and applications, believing it's too early to pinpoint AI's biggest profit centers.
The 2026 Global Artificial Intelligence Technology Conference, hosted by the China Computer Federation (CAAI), took place in Hangzhou Future Sci-Tech City. The event focused on AI breakthroughs and industrial transformation, featuring top scientists and industry experts discussing AI's role in various sectors.
The 2026 China Cosmetics Science and Technology Conference (CST) took place in Guangzhou from May 20-22, focusing on cutting-edge areas like biosynthesis, AI beauty, and unique plant resource development.
South Korea is participating in the Offshore Technology Conference 2026 in Houston, showcasing 12 domestic shipbuilding companies. The event brings together 1,300 firms from over 100 nations amid growing US-South Korea shipbuilding cooperation following the MASGA initiative.
Saudi Arabia remains committed to becoming a global events hub despite disruptions caused by the US-Israel war with Iran, according to Richard Attias, veteran architect of global gatherings including the World Economic Forum. Major events including the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2026, LEAP technology conference, and Automechanika Riyadh have been postponed, but Attias describes these as pragmatic business decisions rather than a structural slowdown. The Kingdom's MICE market is valued at $3.22 billion in 2025 and projected to reach $5.65 billion by 2031.
