Ningxia Develops Muslim Tourism to Promote China-Arab Exchanges

NINGXIA, China, Aug. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Achmed Zeid, who graduated from Al-Azhar University in Egypt, is now an Arabic translator working in western China's Ningxia, an area with a Muslim population of about 2.17 million. Zeid went to western China rather than the coastal regions in the east despite most Arab businessmen preferring eastern China for business. It will be Zeid's third time serving as a translator for the China-Arab States Expo to be held in September, 2013.

Zeid has lived in China for nearly three years and has chosen "Bai Xin" as his Chinese name. "China is a great place for people from Arab countries as 90 percent of the restaurants here serve halal food and we can find mosques everywhere," said Zeid.

As number 20 on the New York Times' list of "The 46 Places to Go in 2013," Ningxia, formerly a major stop along the ancient Silk Road, is now well on track to becoming a major trading center. The China-Arab States Expo will return to Ningxia for the third time on September 15-19, 2013. More government organizations, experts, and companies are also seeking opportunities in Ningxia. Zeid started his entrepreneurial journey as a translator serving attendees at the inaugural 2010 China-Arab States Expo.

Official statistics show that the number of visitors (domestic and foreign combined) to Ningxia increased by 14.6 percent year-on-year to 13.4 million in 2012. Last year, Ningxia saw tourism-related income exceed 10.3 billion RMB (approx. US$1.6 billion), representing a year-on-year rise of 22.8 percent. Local officials said Ningxia is building "an international tourist destination for the Muslim world."

According to the Executive Committee of 2013 China-Arab States Expo, the "World Muslim Travel Business Congress" to be held during the event will offer a wide range of recommended tourism activities in Ningxia, including the National Muslim Tourism Product Design Contest, the Arabic Service Personnel Selection Contest, several tourism project promotion/launch events and signing ceremonies, as well as trips to Muslim tourist routes.

Zeid and other team members have finished the translation of 17 Chinese books into Arabic. "I wish to make my dreams come true at the 'frontier' of China's cooperation with the Arab states and promote their cultural exchange."

For more information, please contact:

Lei Li
Zhengshang Shikong
+86-10-68092688-8006
lilei@zhengshang.net