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Below is a session summary highlighting key themes and direct quotes by each speaker. Please feel free to use them for marketing purposes, after double-checking for accuracy.

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1. Session overview

Session theme. “Scaling Intelligent and Resilient Cities” examines how China–GCC tech collaboration is reshaping mobility, energy, AI infrastructure, and capital flows, and how to ensure these systems are both smart and resilient. The discussion sits explicitly after a finance panel, framing technology as the next layer of China–GCC integration.

Moderator.

• Yousef Salem, CEO of Adnoc Drilling, moderating live from the Great Wall in China as a symbolic bridge between China and the GCC.

Panelists and roles.

• Walid Faza – Partner, MSA Capital. Runs a 200M USD GCC‑focused fund backed by regional sovereigns, bringing Chinese technology, know‑how, and innovation into leading regional companies.
• Samuel (Sam) Tan – Managing Partner, Pembroke Capital Partners. Hong Kong‑based VC funded by UAE and Chinese families, linking Chinese AI/robotics/sustainability tech with GCC via Hong Kong’s capital markets.
• Ryan (Liangfei) Zhan – General Partner MENA at WeRide. Over 20 years with IBM, Huawei, WeRide; 12 years in the Middle East, leading AI‑based mobility and autonomous driving deployments across GCC.
• Robin Machado – Head, Strategic Marketing Committee at Abu Dhabi Youth Business Council (ADYBC), and Senior Product Manager at Siemens Energy leading a digital R&D innovation center in Abu Dhabi with ADIO.

Framing.

Yousef stresses that GCC–China relations are at a “great time” across sectors and that technology collaboration will only deepen. The guiding question: how to capture opportunities in AI, mobility, and energy, and what practical mechanisms (funds, listing venues, youth councils, city‑to‑city links) can make this happen.

2. Big picture: Why China–GCC now?

2.1 “Perfect storm” and geopolitics (Walid)

Walid argues the region is in a “perfect storm”: Chinese technological maturity, Middle Eastern openness, and GCC’s re‑evaluation of global allies.

• On China’s approach vs. West:

  “While other super nations look at bombs and look at fearmongering, China comes in and builds infrastructure and technology.”

• On the broader dynamic:

  “China is the best kept secret. I don’t think it’s a secret anymore… China’s already here and it’s a huge tsunami that’s going to take over everything.”