BEIJING, June 21, 2025 — A report from China Daily

Engineering machinery represents a core expertise of Changsha, situated in Central China’s Hunan province, and serves as a pivotal sector for the city’s involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Companies from the Xiangjiang New Area in Changsha, operating within this field, have executed significant collaborative projects in Saudi Arabia. These endeavors contribute Hunan’s strength to the establishment of an Arab-China community with a shared future and foster the high-quality advancement of the BRI.

In February, a ZE215G excavator from Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology demonstrated its capabilities at a construction site in Saudi Arabia. Wang Yongxiang, the company’s co-president, stated that Zoomlion conducts local research and development to address international market demands.

Wang observed that the company’s market share in Saudi Arabia has been experiencing rapid growth. Its cooperation with the nation has progressed beyond simple equipment sales to encompass deep connections in technology, services, and strategic coordination. A comprehensive “1+11+4” service network has been established, centered in Riyadh and extending coverage to 11 secondary cities and four tertiary cities.

CiDi, a leading hard-tech firm specializing in autonomous driving, has partnered with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to jointly develop core sensing technologies for unmanned mining trucks engineered for desert environments. Additionally, CiDi signed an agreement with King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) to establish a national intelligent transportation laboratory.

On the commercial front, a collaboration with Galadari Group, a prominent distributor of heavy machinery and trucks in the Middle East, aims to supply premium new-energy smart heavy trucks to the Saudi market, thereby accelerating the intelligent transformation of the country’s transportation system.

Cultural exchange also constitutes an important dimension for profound communication and practical cooperation between Changsha and countries participating in the BRI.

Changsha, recognized as China’s first and only UNESCO “Creative City of Media Arts,” is home to influential media entities such as Hunan Broadcasting System. In recent years, cultural institutions, including Hunan Broadcasting System, have actively promoted exchanges and cooperation between China and Middle Eastern countries involved in the BRI.

On June 16, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) signed a strategic cooperation memorandum with Hunan Broadcasting System. The two parties will prioritize resource sharing, brand co-creation, and creative collaboration, while also developing cultural tourism. This initiative seeks to help Chinese audiences experience Dubai’s diverse cultural and tourism attractions multidimensionally, fostering mutual learning between civilizations and upgrading tourism experiences.

DET, Hunan Satellite TV, and Mango TV have previously collaborated on various popular programs.

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