First Public Legal Lecture for Chinese Enterprises in Saudi Arabia

On March 17th, the Inaugural Legal Public Welfare Lecture for Chinese-funded Enterprises in Saudi Arabia was successfully held at the Riyadh headquarters of China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) Saudi Branch. Organized by Winson Law Firm, the event received full support from China University of Political Science and Law, the Chinese Embassy in Saudi Arabia, China Railway Construction International Group Saudi Branch, and the Office of Chinese-funded Enterprises in Saudi Arabia.

More than 80 representatives from China University of Political Science and Law, Chinese diplomatic agencies and chambers of commerce in Saudi Arabia, Chinese-funded enterprises in Saudi Arabia, and legal practitioners participated in the forum. The atmosphere at the event was lively with frequent interactions. Discussions revolved around the overall situation of Saudi Arabia's legal system, focusing closely on the concerns of Chinese-funded enterprises in the country. Drawing upon the latest legal research findings and frontline practical experiences, participants actively brainstormed strategies for Saudi-bound Chinese-funded enterprises to effectively utilize legal mechanisms to defend their legitimate rights and interests.

The Vice President of China University of Political Science and Law, Chang Baoguo, the Director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the Chinese Embassy in Saudi Arabia, Xu Zongli, Dean of the Law School of Beijing Jiaotong University, Li Weitao, and Deputy General Manager of China Railway Construction International Group Saudi Branch, Ding Rui, delivered speeches at the lecture hall.

Vice President Chang Baoguo: Seize Opportunities, Embrace Challenges

Director Xu Zongli: Utilize Law as a Tool, Actively Safeguard Rights

Dean Li Weitao: Address Practical Issues, Conduct In-depth Research

Deputy General Manager Ding Rui: Respond to Needs, Look Ahead to the Future

Vice President Chang Baoguo pointed out that the Saudi market has vast prospects, emphasizing the need to seize opportunities, embrace challenges, focus on enhancing the capacity of overseas Chinese-funded enterprises in protecting their interests, and strengthen collaboration between industry, academia, and research. Director Xu Zongli affirmed the significant importance of the lecture , encouraging Chinese-funded enterprises to actively utilize legal means to safeguard their rights. Dean Li Weitao highly praised the organization of the Legal Public Welfare Lecture Hall for Chinese-funded Enterprises, encouraging effective alignment with the practical needs of enterprises and in-depth research on relevant legal issues through the platform provided by the lecture hall. Deputy General Manager Ding Rui expressed his outlook on the future development of the lecture hall activities in his speech, hoping to continuously address the concerns of enterprises and benefit more Chinese-funded enterprises in Saudi Arabia.

After the conclusion of the opening remarks, the themed training session of this lecture hall officially commenced. Professor Shao Xiaoli, Director of the WTO Research Center at China University of Political Science and Law and doctoral supervisor, delivered a lecture titled "New Approaches to Diversified Rights Protection for Chinese Investors: Maximizing the China-Saudi Investment Agreement." She meticulously outlined the current situation of international investment flows, the signing status of investment agreements among various countries, introduced internationally recognized methods for resolving investment disputes, elucidated arbitration cases in Saudi Arabia under the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), and finally conducted a detailed analysis of the specific content and inherent logical characteristics of the China-Saudi bilateral investment agreement.

Professor Shao Xiaoli's lecture exhibited a clear logical structure, highlighted key points of the theme, and demonstrated solid academic expertise along with the abundant practical value.

Following that, Xu Jinxu, a partner at Winson Law Firm and director of its Saudi branch, presented "Introduction to the Legal System of Saudi Arabia." He provided a systematic overview of Saudi Arabian law, covering the principles and objectives of Islamic law, the legal system of Saudi Arabia, key laws related to foreign investment, and dispute resolution mechanisms within the Saudi legal environment. The presentation focused on the field of foreign investment, starting from basic concepts and gradually delving deeper into more complex topics, highlighting the characteristics of the era and emphasizing practical applications. Xu Jinxu's presentation sparked widespread discussion and received positive feedback from the participants.

Finally, Ethen Gai, the founding partner of Winson Law Firm, delivered a presentation titled "Protecting Chinese Interests Judicially: Winson in Action." He introduced Winson Law Firm's legal public welfare projects in the Middle East, highlighting the firm's efforts to protect the interests of Chinese enterprises overseas. Ethen Gai elaborated on how Winson Law Firm leverages resources from universities, state-owned enterprises, and other sources to address the specific needs of Chinese-funded enterprises expanding abroad. He also outlined a roadmap for future legal public welfare projects, emphasizing the intersection of law and public welfare. Gai's presentation offered constructive insights into the concept of "law + public welfare," laying a solid foundation for enhancing the pace of overseas expansion through "soft infrastructure development."

Currently, Saudi Arabia has emerged as a hotspot for outbound investment along China's Belt and Road Initiative. The Legal Public Welfare Lecture Hall for Chinese-funded Enterprises in Saudi Arabia, held on this occasion, addresses the core concerns of Chinese-funded enterprises in Saudi Arabia by providing timely legal knowledge and public welfare training. The aim is to continually enhance their confidence and ability to utilize legal means to protect their legitimate rights and interests.

In the future, Winson Law Firm will continue to focus on the practical, hot, and typical issues encountered by Chinese-funded enterprises in Saudi Arabia. They will collaborate with various resources from academia and practice to conduct in-depth research on Saudi Arabian law. They will also continue to launch a series of Legal Public Welfare Lecture events tailored to Chinese-funded enterprises in Saudi Arabia. This initiative aims to build a "community of shared destiny" for safeguarding legitimate rights and interests through legal means, providing better support for Chinese businesses' investments and operations in Saudi Arabia. This effort will contribute to serving the strategic framework of jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative between China and Arab countries.