Saudi investor sees big investment opportunities in China

12/12/2024 6:18

Saudi venture capital firm KBW Ventures said it sees "massive investment opportunities" in China, particularly in biotechnology and healthcare, as business ties between China and the Gulf Arab region strengthen.

"With regards to specific sectors, there is a lot of opportunity to collaborate," Ekta Tolani, chief investment officer of KBW Ventures, told Xinhua in an interview on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Finance Week, which runs from Dec. 9 to Dec. 12.

"Especially in the area of healthcare, China is way advanced, and we want to collaborate on this kind of opportunity," she said.

KBW Ventures, founded by Saudi Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, focuses on companies with transformative technologies and business models, according to its website. The firm, which has a satellite office in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), invests in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, broadcast technologies and other forward-looking sectors.

Tolani highlighted biotechnology as a key emerging industry that attracts investor interest.

"China is already quite advanced in the area of biotech, while the UAE is still quickly gaining ground in that category. We see a lot of attention from sovereigns (sovereign wealth funds) in the region for this particular sector," she said.

China has been the UAE's largest trading partner for years, with the UAE being China's largest export market and second-largest trading partner in the Middle East.

"China has started to tap into the massive investment opportunities and wants to partner with the local ecosystem," Tolani said, adding that understanding the local ecosystem, culture, and regulatory environment is key.