Saturday, September 13, 2025 ​ ​ ​ Cathay extends its congratulations to the Hong Kong SAR Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council on the conclusion of the 10th Belt and Road Summit, which was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 10 and 11 September 2025. The event brought together global leaders, policymakers and industry professionals to exchange insights and explore new business opportunities along the Belt and Road.

Cathay Group Chief Executive Officer Ronald Lam had the pleasure of joining a panel discussion titled “Business Plenary II – Exploring Frontiers in New Markets and Industries” on 11 September, alongside distinguished speakers from across various industries. The session focused on how emerging industries such as artificial intelligence, fintech and sustainable development are reshaping economies along the Belt and Road, while highlighting the strategic role of Hong Kong as a hub for multilateral collaboration in navigating change and seizing new opportunities in an increasingly interconnected world.

In his sharing, Ronald reaffirmed Cathay’s commitment to further strengthening connectivity between Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and important Belt and Road destinations to facilitate the movement of people, cargo and trade. Currently, the Group flies to around 30 destinations in Belt and Road participating countries, operating more than 500 return flights per week during the summer peak. Through Cathay’s Hong Kong hub, customers can conveniently connect to 23 destinations in the Chinese Mainland, including our newly launched service to Urumqi, a key hub in Northwestern China connecting Belt and Road destinations in Central Asia.

Speaking on the growing demand for connectivity with the Middle East, Ronald said: “I have been surprised by how many Hong Kong businesses regularly travel between Hong Kong and the Middle East. I remember back in 2023, when Hong Kong had just emerged from the pandemic, I joined a delegation to the Middle East led by the Hong Kong SAR Government and was struck by the strong growth potential in the region.

“In October last year, Cathay Pacific launched direct flights between Hong Kong and Riyadh. To our pleasant surprise, demand was much stronger than expected, particularly between the Chinese Mainland and Riyadh via the Hong Kong hub. As a result, we increased our frequency from three to four return flights per week, and I’m pleased to share that starting next month, we will be operating daily flights to Riyadh.”

Cathay Pacific’s daily flights to Riyadh will also complement Cathay Cargo’s weekly freighter service to the city operated by its Boeing 747 aircraft.

In addition to the Middle East, the Cathay Group has also been bolstering its presence in the ASEAN region, where it currently serves around 20 Belt and Road destinations.

Ronald added: “ASEAN is probably the closest and most important Belt and Road region for Cathay’s strategic roadmap. Through our dual-brand strategy, Cathay Pacific and HK Express have been able to expand our connectivity between Hong Kong and ASEAN in a very significant way.”

Elsewhere in its network, Cathay Pacific’s non-stop flights between Hong Kong and Dallas-Fort Worth will also increase to daily from 26 October 2025, up from four return flights per week. These additional flights will enable customers to connect to more flights to Belt and Road destinations in Central and South America through Cathay Pacific’s codeshares and other flight options via the Dallas-Fort Worth hub.

The Cathay Group remains committed to expanding its reach and footprint along the Belt and Road, further reinforcing Hong Kong’s status as a leading international aviation hub. The Group also endeavours to strengthen its support to serve Hong Kong’s “eight centres” development strategy supported by the National 14th Five-Year Plan.

The Cathay Group currently operates passenger flights to over 100 destinations worldwide, providing customers with a smooth and seamless travel experience to and from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and beyond.