Hong Kong more attractive to talent amid Middle East tensions, labour chief says Hong Kong’s labour chief has said geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have made the city, with its relative security and stability, “a more attractive place” for global talent, including those from Gulf countries. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han also highlighted the government’s efforts in recent years to attract talent, dismissing concerns that most successful applicants under its schemes were from mainland China. He said that about a fourth of imported workers from various schemes were foreign passport holders, adding the Global Talent Summit Week – which he attended on Wednesday – had drawn participants from Europe, the United States and Southeast Asia. “A significant number of overseas talents choosing Hong Kong as their base for development truly demonstrates the city’s importance and attractiveness as a talent hub,” he said. “We know that, given the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, Hong Kong – with our secure environment and very stable opportunities – has become a more attractive place for talent from around the world, including those from the region who can use Hong Kong as a base for development.” Hong Kong Talent Engage, a government office under the Labour and Welfare Bureau, visited Saudi Arabia last year, Sun noted. He said officials would press ahead with outreach trips to Southeast Asia, Europe and North America this year, noting that authorities would try to visit the Middle East again in the future. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu had also attended the opening ceremony of the International Talent Forum under the summit on Wednesday. Speaking at the event, Lee said Hong Kong would tackle the global competition for talent with clarity, commitment and dedication. “We will continue to uphold openness, deepen international engagement and align closely with our national development strategies,” he said. Lee revealed that by the end of last month, the city had approved over 410,000 applications under various talent schemes, with more than 270,000 professionals having arrived. Hong Kong has stepped up efforts since 2022 to attract top-calibre professionals, rolling out various schemes to draw qualified talent to the city. This year’s Global Talent Summit Week, the second since its launch in 2024, featured local firms, tertiary institutions, and the Qianhai and Nansha special zones in Shenzhen and Guangzhou respectively, which set up booths at the CareerConnect Expo to showcase their services for mainland and overseas talent. Iraqi entrepreneur Basima Abdulrahman, who founded green tech firm and solar energy provider KESK in 2018, was one of the participants. She said her company sourced more than 90 per cent of its hardware – from solar panels to batteries – from the mainland, citing competitive prices and quality. KESK currently operates in Iraq, providing green energy solutions from power systems to financing, and its business partners include oil and gas companies, as well as regional banks. Hong Kong’s connectivity with the mainland and the wider world was therefore attractive to Abdulrahman, who said she hoped to find suitable talent and partners in the city to strengthen her supply chain. “I think Hong Kong offers a unique blend of opportunities in talent, connectivity and access to funds for businesses like ours to find our place in this part of the world and to help also improve and optimise our operations,” she said. Abdulrahman added that Hong Kong’s proximity to the mainland was an advantage when compared with other Asian cities, as her business relied heavily on China-sourced hardware. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3347047/hong-kong-more-attractive-talent-amid-middle-east-tensions-labour-chief-says?module=Hong%20Kong%20Economy&pgtype=section (ICE HONG KONG)

Fonte notizia: South China Morning Post