The eighth edition of Hong Kong's Belt and Road Summit will be held on Sept. 13-14, featuring a new Middle East forum, the organizer said Thursday.

The annual summit, under the theme Prospering on a Decade of Collaboration this year, is jointly organized by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government and Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). Some 80 government officials and business leaders from countries and regions along the Belt and Road, as well as project owners and investors, will gather to share their Belt and Road experience over the past 10 years and explore investment and business opportunities.

The summit features discussion sessions and exchange, including business plenary, thematic breakout sessions and project pitching sessions. The new Middle East forum will feature business and investment outlook in the Middle East market.

Algernon Yau, secretary for commerce and economic development of the HKSAR government, said that this year is the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative and the summit is a valuable opportunity to deepen people's understanding of Hong Kong's pivotal role in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and to foster increased business opportunities, particularly in emerging markets such as ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and the Middle East.

Peter K N Lam, chairman of the HKTDC, said that since its inception in 2016, the Belt and Road Summit has evolved into a preeminent global business platform for discussing opportunities arising from the Belt and Road Initiative and fostering substantial cooperation. He expected that this year's forum will attract more than 5,000 attendees.