Ali is a Yemeni doing business in China. His videos document the daily life of "a Yemeni businessman in China".
He runs a trading business, constantly moving between commercial cities like Yiwu and Guangzhou. His videos show China's busy markets, developed logistics, and his own journey learning Chinese and adapting to life.
Ali loves Chinese food, especially Xinjiang and halal cuisine. He also introduces Yemeni food habits to Chinese friends, like the etiquette of eating rice with hands.
He says China is a great place for business and friendship. From Yemen to China, he found a career and a second home.
Ali is a Yemeni businessman who has traded in China for years, famous for recording "an Arab doing business in China". His story is a microcosm of Belt-and-Road grassroots commerce.
His choice: he came to China years ago, from student to merchant - bringing Chinese goods back to Yemen and Yemeni specialities to China.
Content: "an Arab businessman daily in China" - sourcing, negotiating, attending Canton Fair, dealing with clients. Informative and pragmatic.
Going viral: his "Yemeni businessman in Guangzhou" series is popular - explaining how he finds good suppliers and deals with Chinese partners; practical content.
Significance: he represents Arabs doing business in China - his experience shows the openness of the Chinese market and the real hustle of Arab merchants here.
For readers: his videos show the cultural exchange behind business - every deal is a handshake between two civilisations.
He also shares "business tips in China" - the most important things are trustworthiness, understanding human relations and patience. He says a meal and a drink with clients often beats ten rounds of price talks. His practical advice saves many foreign merchants detours. He plans to expand into cross-border e-commerce, bringing more Chinese goods to Yemen and the Middle East.
He ends with a Chinese saying he learned: "hé qì shēng cái" (harmony brings wealth). He pondered it for years and now understands - in China, be friends first, then do business. His videos bring more Arab merchants to China with this saying.
His story is the plainest footnote to the Belt and Road - no grand slogans, just real business and friendship. He learned not only business skills but also how to be a person. He plans to bring his son to learn Chinese next year, "I want the next generation to keep building the bridge." From merchant orders to father hopes, his China story passes through generations.
His shop hangs a Chinese calligraphy "hé wéi guì" (harmony is precious), which he reads daily. "It is the greatest business lesson I learned in China."
He plans a second shop in Guangzhou selling Yemeni coffee and honey. "Good things are for sharing; that is what I learned in China."
