Shandong Auto and Auto Parts matchmaking event held in Sharjah, UAE

The Shandong Quality World Wide Shandong Automotive & Auto Parts Industry Promotion Matchmaking Conference was successfully hosted at Sharjah Expo Centre in the UAE on August 4.

Organised by the Department of Commerce of Shandong Province, this event marked the inaugural session of the 2026 Industry-Specific Policy Initiative for Overseas Market Expansion of Shandong’s premium export clusters targeting automobiles and auto parts. Leveraging the professional platform of the 5th UAE-China Tyre & Auto Parts Exhibition (METAS 2026), the event brought Shandong’s integrated automotive supply chain to this pivotal Middle Eastern sourcing hub, empowering local automotive manufacturers to secure global orders.

As China’s top manufacturing base boasting a complete automotive industrial chain, Shandong Province features well-established, highly recognisable industrial clusters for auto components. A delegation of 51 high-quality Shandong manufacturers was handpicked for the conference, covering a full spectrum of product categories including passenger vehicle spare parts, commercial vehicle components, tyres and wheel rims, new energy vehicle three-electric systems, automotive electronics, as well as chassis and braking assemblies. All showcased products are tailor-engineered to adapt to the Middle Eastern market’s unique operating conditions, including high temperatures, sandy terrain and right-hand-drive vehicle specifications. Every participating enterprise holds full international trading qualifications, capable of offering standardized quotations and consistent bulk supply to meet diversified procurement demands from buyers across multiple nations.

Hosted alongside METAS EXPO 2026, the conference drew over 120 professional overseas buyers for on-site negotiations, representing more than 100 countries and territories spanning the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and South Asia. Buyers were sourced through five dedicated channels: METAS EXPO’s proprietary buyer database, long-term clients of Dubai JTO auto parts retail outlets, merchants recruited via field visits to Deira Auto Parts Market, referrals from foreign consulates and chambers of commerce stationed in the UAE, and targeted leads generated via overseas social media campaigns. Prior to the exhibition, big data technology was deployed to pre-match all participating manufacturers with buyer requirements, generating customised one-on-one meeting schedules in advance. Dedicated business negotiation booths were arranged on-site to drastically boost the efficiency of supply-demand matchmaking.

The venue was segmented into three functional zones: exhibition display area, main stage and private one-on-one negotiation area. The exhibition zone featured five core display modules: an industrial cluster map of Shandong’s auto parts sector, an introduction to the Shandong Automotive Global Expansion Alliance, detailed briefings on the Industry-Specific Policy Initiative for automotive export clusters, physical samples and scale models of best-selling vehicles and auto parts popular in the Middle East, plus digital display screens highlighting key industry associations and participating enterprises. The integrated setup vividly demonstrated the comprehensive supporting capacity of Shandong’s full automotive supply chain.

More than 90 in-depth one-on-one business matching sessions were completed throughout the event. Suppliers and buyers engaged in extensive consultations covering customised product development, bulk supply cooperation, exclusive regional distribution, consignment sales via overseas warehouses and cross-border logistics solutions. Tentative cooperation orders worth over $6.8 million were secured on-site.

Shandong participating manufacturers commented that the matchmaking event accurately aligned them with genuine purchasing demands, eliminating exorbitant travel expenses incurred by separate overseas market development trips and enabling one-stop connections with stable distributors from multiple regions, effectively expanding their distribution networks across the Middle East and Africa. Overseas buyers also acknowledged that Shandong’s complete industrial ecosystem guarantees reliable delivery cycles and product compatibility with local road conditions, with plans to expand procurement categories and establish long-term fixed supply chain partnerships moving forward.

This Sharjah, UAE special session kicked off the Department of Commerce of Shandong Province’s 2026 Industry-Specific Policy export cluster program for automobiles and auto parts. Three additional supporting targeted matchmaking events are scheduled for the remainder of the year, to be held alongside the Liangshan Special Purpose Vehicle Exhibition, the 140th Canton Fair and Automechanika Shanghai, continuing to drive Shandong’s competitive industries including tyres, special vehicles, new energy auto components and automotive electronics to jointly explore global markets.

Moving forward, the Department of Commerce of Shandong Province will deepen cooperation with leading domestic and international professional trade fairs, roll out regular industry promotion and targeted sourcing matchmaking events under the Industry-Specific Policy framework. The authority aims to continuously cut overseas market development costs for small and medium-sized enterprises, expand the global export footprint of “Shandong Quality World Wide”, and steadily lift the international market share of Shandong manufacturing.