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DeepSeek Forecasts Major Boom in Yiwu After 2025 Chinese New Year Market Opening

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YIWU, China, Feb. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On February 9, the 12th day of the Lunar New Year, Yiwu International Trade City marked the grand opening after 2025 Chinese new year, warmly welcoming global business leaders. In preparation for the occasion, 75,000 merchants at Yiwu International Trade City have meticulously curated an array of popular new products, ready to be unveiled for international visitors from around the world.

Based on its monitoring data, DeepSeek summarized that on the first day of the market opening, offline visitor traffic surpassed 235,000, reflecting a 2.6% year-on-year increase. Leaders from the Jinhua Municipal Party Committee and Government, the Yiwu Municipal Party Committee and Government visited the market to express their support for the development of the “World Supermarket.” Their presence included distributing Spring Festival couplets, “Fu” characters, and red envelopes to merchants. The opening celebrations reached a global audience through Chinagoods, the official online platform of Yiwu Commodities City, which livestreamed the event and offered digital red envelopes and blessings. The broadcast garnered significant international attention, attracting 1.558 million views and interactions worldwide.

Most merchants saw a strong start to the year. Cai Peifen, a toy merchant in District 1, remarked, “A new toy we just launched sold over 100 cartons on the opening day.” Ma Beiya, a wig merchant in District 3, shared, “Even while I was celebrating the New Year back home, overseas customers were already reaching out and placing orders online—there was no downtime during the Spring Festival.”Similarly, He Lihong, a packaging industry merchant in District 2, noted that their packaging factory remained fully operational throughout the holiday, busy fulfilling orders.

This year, foreign buyers have arrived at the Yiwu market earlier and in greater numbers than ever before. Anas Sabouni, a buyer from Syria, shared, “Before the market opened, I took a trip to Shanghai and Hangzhou to immerse myself in the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations. As soon as the market opened today, I returned to make my purchases. I mainly focus on toys and perfumes. Last year, I bought around 500 containers, and this year, I plan to purchase even more!”

A strong start is rooted in past achievements. During the 2025 Spring Festival, the “Yiwu Treasure Year” initiative, jointly launched by the Yiwu Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism and Zhejiang China Commodities City Group, delivered impressive results. According to monitoring data from DeepSeek, during the “Yiwu Treasure Year” event, daily visitor traffic at Yiwu International Trade City peaked at over 300,000, a 10%-15% increase compared to 2024. The estimated transaction volume is expected to exceed 50 billion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year growth of more than 20%, driven largely by global buyers stocking up and the recovery of domestic consumption.

Chinese New Year product purchases on the Chinagoods platform have surged by 26% year-on-year. In celebration of the Year of the Snake in 2025, the Yiwu market has introduced a series of snake-themed products, including cultural and creative gifts, decorations, and more, with estimated sales expected to exceed 5 billion yuan. Additionally, products incorporating traditional Chinese cultural elements, such as hanfu and intangible cultural heritage crafts, have become popular favorites among both domestic and international buyers.

Foreign friends, regardless of age or background, have shown a deep appreciation for Chinese New Year products and traditions. This was vividly showcased in the micro-musical video named “A Chinese New Year Across the Seas”, released the day before Chinese New Year’s Eve in 2025. Produced by Zhejiang China Commodities City Group, the musical authentically highlights how Chinese-made products reach global audiences through the Yiwu market. In the video, a Yiwu businesswoman uses the “Spring Festival Gift Box” from Yiwu Selection to send New Year goods to friends and family worldwide, symbolizing not just the joy of shared life moments but also the warmth of Chinese culture crossing oceans. The video brings to life the saying, “Yiwu brings the world the flavor of Chinese New Year.” Following its release, it received widespread praise and was shared by official media outlets.

As highlighted by international friends in the video, “Yiwu’s New Year is the most flavorful Chinese New Year.”

According to relevant data, during the 2025 Spring Festival, Yiwu attracted a total of 941,000 visitors, reflecting an 11.68% year-on-year increase. The number of overnight visitors reached 348,000, a 22.91% growth compared to the previous year. With China’s extension of visa-free stays to 240 hours for visitors from 54 countries and regions as of December 2024, Yiwu—a city with strong international appeal—looks set to seize new growth opportunities in the coming years.

It is worth noting that on February 6, just three days before the Yiwu market opening, the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee and Government held a high-level mobilization and deployment meeting in Yiwu to launch the deepening of Yiwu’s comprehensive international trade reforms and the development of the China-Europe Railway Express Hub. Key leaders attended the meeting, underscoring the need to focus on “capacity enhancement, reform breakthroughs, and model innovation” to advance the dual circulation strategy and contribute to the new development pattern. Yiwu International Trade City plays a pivotal role as the “vanguard” of these reforms and is expected to take on greater responsibilities, especially with the planned opening of Yiwu’s Sixth-Generation Market—the Global Digital Trade Center—in October 2025, which will introduce entirely new business operations.

Prior to this, the Chinagoods Yiwu Commodities City Annual Gala recognized the “Top 60 Yiwu Businesswomen” of 2024, forming the “Yiwu Businesswomen Show Team.” This group is ready to take the lead in welcoming global business partners for the 2025 Global Wealth Creation Season, set to launch on April 15.

It is evident that, driven by both economic trends and policy reforms, Yiwu’s market is primed for new growth opportunities in 2025. According to DeepSeek’s projections, Yiwu, renowned for its ability to “create something from nothing,” will not only remain a popular destination for county-level tourism but also emerge as a top choice for global entrepreneurship and wealth creation. With the latest round of international trade reforms and the surge of digital trade, Yiwu—this “land of opportunity”—holds immense business potential for the future.

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ST Engineering iDirect and MBSat Partner to Build Next-Generation Sovereign Connectivity Services Across Oman and the Middle East

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Intuition ground system selected to support MBSat’s planned 2027 service launch, enabling accelerated deployment, dynamic resource management and scalable service growth

HERNDON, Va., Oct. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ST Engineering iDirect today announced a strategic partnership with Mohammed Al Barwani Satellite Company (MBSat), part of Mohammed Al Barwani Group, to provide the ground system technology foundation for MBSat’s next-generation satellite gateway and network operations across Oman and the wider Middle East region. Intuition will provide a flexible, software-defined foundation to support sovereign connectivity services, enabling efficient service deployment, dynamic resource management and scalable network operations.

Intuition will deliver a turnkey ground segment solution that accelerates deployment, simplifies operations and gives MBSat the flexibility to scale services as demand grows. The software-defined platform enables dynamic resource management, service automation and seamless integration with existing and future operational systems. The solution also includes Ka-band gateway infrastructure, service provisioning and management capabilities, open API integration frameworks, training and full-lifecycle support. Together, these capabilities will help MBSat launch and operate services efficiently while adapting to evolving market requirements.

The network will leverage capacity from MB Sat-1, a sovereign MicroGEO satellite, with planned service launch in 2027, to support flexible, scalable connectivity services across the region.

The partnership reflects growing investment in sovereign communications infrastructure across the Middle East as operators seek greater control over service delivery, network expansion and long-term technology evolution.

“This partnership represents an important milestone in our efforts to build an advanced satellite communications platform in Oman and the region,” said Ammar Al Rawahi, General Manager, MBSat. “Through our collaboration with ST Engineering iDirect, we are establishing the technical infrastructure required to launch services efficiently, respond to evolving customer needs and expand into new markets, supporting the sustainable long-term growth of our business.”

“We are providing MBSat with a flexible, software-defined ground platform that integrates with its existing operational environment,” said Sridhar Kuppanna, Chief Executive Officer, ST Engineering iDirect. “This enables more efficient service deployment and operations today, with the flexibility to scale, introduce new capabilities and evolve as requirements change.”

About ST Engineering iDirect

ST Engineering iDirect, a subsidiary of ST Engineering, is a global leader in satellite communications, providing technology and solutions that enable its customers to expand their business, differentiate their services and optimize their networks. Through its portfolio of ground infrastructure, intelligent networking and advanced satellite communications solutions, the company supports operators, service providers, governments and enterprises worldwide.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/st-engineering-idirect-and-mbsat-partner-to-build-next-generation-sovereign-connectivity-services-across-oman-and-the-middle-east-302918467.html

SOURCE ST Engineering iDirect

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ST Engineering iDirect and MBSat Partner to Build Next-Generation Sovereign Connectivity Services Across Oman and the Middle East

Published

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Intuition ground system selected to support MBSat’s planned 2027 service launch, enabling accelerated deployment, dynamic resource management and scalable service growth

HERNDON, Va., Oct. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ST Engineering iDirect today announced a strategic partnership with Mohammed Al Barwani Satellite Company (MBSat), part of Mohammed Al Barwani Group, to provide the ground system technology foundation for MBSat’s next-generation satellite gateway and network operations across Oman and the wider Middle East region. Intuition will provide a flexible, software-defined foundation to support sovereign connectivity services, enabling efficient service deployment, dynamic resource management and scalable network operations.

Intuition will deliver a turnkey ground segment solution that accelerates deployment, simplifies operations and gives MBSat the flexibility to scale services as demand grows. The software-defined platform enables dynamic resource management, service automation and seamless integration with existing and future operational systems. The solution also includes Ka-band gateway infrastructure, service provisioning and management capabilities, open API integration frameworks, training and full-lifecycle support. Together, these capabilities will help MBSat launch and operate services efficiently while adapting to evolving market requirements.

The network will leverage capacity from MB Sat-1, a sovereign MicroGEO satellite, with planned service launch in 2027, to support flexible, scalable connectivity services across the region.

The partnership reflects growing investment in sovereign communications infrastructure across the Middle East as operators seek greater control over service delivery, network expansion and long-term technology evolution.

“This partnership represents an important milestone in our efforts to build an advanced satellite communications platform in Oman and the region,” said Ammar Al Rawahi, General Manager, MBSat. “Through our collaboration with ST Engineering iDirect, we are establishing the technical infrastructure required to launch services efficiently, respond to evolving customer needs and expand into new markets, supporting the sustainable long-term growth of our business.”

“We are providing MBSat with a flexible, software-defined ground platform that integrates with its existing operational environment,” said Sridhar Kuppanna, Chief Executive Officer, ST Engineering iDirect. “This enables more efficient service deployment and operations today, with the flexibility to scale, introduce new capabilities and evolve as requirements change.”

About ST Engineering iDirect

ST Engineering iDirect, a subsidiary of ST Engineering, is a global leader in satellite communications, providing technology and solutions that enable its customers to expand their business, differentiate their services and optimize their networks. Through its portfolio of ground infrastructure, intelligent networking and advanced satellite communications solutions, the company supports operators, service providers, governments and enterprises worldwide.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/st-engineering-idirect-and-mbsat-partner-to-build-next-generation-sovereign-connectivity-services-across-oman-and-the-middle-east-302918467.html

SOURCE ST Engineering iDirect

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Global Security & Technology Summit Unveils Month-Long Program of Activities Ahead of December Event

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Organizing Committee of the Global Security & Technology Summit (GSTS) held an introductory session today at the Ministry of Interior’s headquarters in Riyadh, bringing together representatives from the government, private, and nonprofit sectors to introduce the program of activities leading up to the summit. The upcoming summit will be held in Riyadh under the patronage of HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, under the supervision of HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of Interior, and organized by the Ministry of Interior in cooperation with Tuwaiq Academy.

During the session, the Organizing Committee presented the comprehensive GSTS program, comprising three key components: GSTS Month, running from November 1 to 30, 2026; the Global Security & Innovation Fair (SAIF), taking place from November 24 to 26, 2026; and the main Summit, scheduled for December 18 to 20, 2026, in Riyadh. Together, these events form an integrated program designed to advance security and technology innovation, strengthen national capabilities, and foster international cooperation.

GSTS Month will feature working groups, boot camps, training programs, knowledge-sharing sessions, and technical workshops across Saudi Arabia’s 13 administrative regions, delivered both in person and remotely in collaboration with specialized entities. The month-long program aims to develop national capabilities, identify emerging talent, enrich knowledge-sharing opportunities, and equip professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to develop innovative solutions to future security and technology challenges.

The main Summit will bring together global leaders, decision-makers, experts, and innovators to explore the future of security and technology, promote the integration of advanced technologies within the security sector, strengthen national capabilities, support innovation, and foster international cooperation, further positioning the Kingdom as a global hub for security and technology.

Showcasing the latest technological breakthroughs and security solutions, the summit will bring together government entities, private sector organizations, academic institutions, and research centers to facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration across key fields, including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), smart security solutions, emerging technologies, and crisis management. The program will also feature main sessions, specialized discussions, and interactive exhibitions. Registration is available at gsts.sa.

Advisor to HRH the Minister of Interior and Chairman of the GSTS Organizing Committee, Ahmed Altowayan, stated that the summit builds on Saudi Arabia’s efforts to establish an advanced security and technology ecosystem focused on knowledge and innovation, keeping pace with rapid developments and future challenges.

Mr. Altowayan noted that the summit is a global platform for strengthening cooperation and exchanging expertise, anticipating future developments in security and technology, and developing strategic partnerships and innovative solutions that enhance the efficiency and readiness of security systems.

Vice Chairman of the GSTS Organizing Committee, Eng. Abdulaziz Alhammadi, said that the summit will offer a range of integrated programs and activities focused on enhancing national skills, encouraging innovation, and supporting international cooperation.

He added that GSTS Month will help build national capabilities, discover talent, and develop skills, with SAIF providing a platform for innovators and researchers from around the world to showcase leading technological solutions, while the main Summit will bring together leaders and experts to discuss the future of security and technology and explore new strategic partnership opportunities.

SAIF will take place at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center, bringing together innovators, researchers, technology talents, and industry experts from around the world to showcase promising innovations and projects across 14 fields of technology and innovation. The fair will provide opportunities to engage with project owners, including students, graduates, and entrepreneurs, and explore the different stages of innovation development through interactive zones, panel discussions on emerging security and innovation trends, and knowledge-sharing workshops led by specialists. Visitor registration is open to participants from within and outside the Kingdom through saifair.sa.

The introductory session also featured contributions from representatives of government, private, and nonprofit sector entities, alongside members of the media. Discussions focused on developing national capabilities in security and technology, strengthening students’ technical expertise, translating scientific research into practical solutions, and supporting Saudi companies in developing security and technology solutions and advancing digital transformation.

Organized by the Ministry of Interior in cooperation with Tuwaiq Academy, GSTS is produced by Tahaluf, with the Ministry of Education serving as Strategic Scientific Partner, Tahakom as Founding Partner, and Elm as Principal Partner.

Registration for participants from within and outside the Kingdom is available at gsts.sa.

Click here to view the media kit. 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/global-security–technology-summit-unveils-month-long-program-of-activities-ahead-of-december-event-302918695.html

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