Both the Israeli and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sides confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the UAE and met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
In a post on social media platform X, the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel said on Monday that Netanyahu and his wife visited the United Arab Emirates on Sunday at the invitation of the UAE president.
"The visit focused on strengthening relations between the two countries and on regional challenges. The Prime Minister was accompanied by the head of the National Security Council, the head of the Mossad, the military secretary and the foreign policy adviser," said the post.
The UAE's state-run Emirates News Agency said on Monday that the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen ties, without providing further details.
Citing officials familiar with the meeting, Israeli state-owned Kan TV News reported that Netanyahu had asked the UAE president to publicly deny reports that he had warned the Israeli prime minister before Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 surprise attack that the group was planning a major operation.
Netanyahu has previously denied receiving such a warning.
In a separate statement, his office denied the report as "fake news," claiming that the visit "focused exclusively on strengthening relations between the two countries and on regional challenges."
Netanyahu traveled to the UAE on a private plane and spent the day there, Kan TV News said.
Israeli PM's visit to UAE confirmed by both sides
China's excavator exports surpassed domestic sales in the first eight months of the year amid surging global demand, as domestic manufacturers expand their overseas sales through customized solutions and enhanced after-sales services.
At a lighthouse factory in Kunshan City of east China's Jiangsu Province, a new mini excavator rolls off the assembly line every 12 minutes after undergoing 94 procedures and rigorous quality inspections. The proportion of its excavators shipped to the European and American markets has significantly increased this year.
"Currently our mini excavators are primarily exported to Europe and the United States, driving a sales increase of over 50 percent from January to August, and the entire production line is operating at full capacity," said Chen Xingchao, general manager of the overseas marketing company of Sany Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd.
Overseas markets have become a crucial growth engine across the industry, with data showing that in the first eight months, domestic excavator exports to Africa reached 2.31 billion U.S. dollars, up 47 percent, while exports to Latin America soared 60.7 percent to 1.03 billion U.S. dollars.
A manufacturer in Changsha City of central China's Hunan Province also reported rapid increase in orders for mid-to-large excavators from Southeast Asia and Africa this year.
"Capacity utilization for products heading to overseas regions like Indonesia, Africa, and Europe is near or over 100 percent, marking a year-on-year growth of more than 30 percent. Taking our factory as an example, our full range of products from 1.8-ton to 90-ton classes are all sold overseas," said Mao Qing, deputy general manager of Zoomlion Earthmoving Machinery Co., Ltd and general manager of its Changsha company.
Total excavator sales reached 191,557 units from January to August, up 24.2 percent year on year, while cumulative exports surged 31.8 percent to 96,938 units, exceeding domestic sales for the first time.
Industry insiders attribute this export heat to recovering overseas demand—including mining and infrastructure in emerging economies, as well as restocking cycles and AI data center construction in European and American markets—alongside the comprehensive advantages of Chinese enterprises in product performance, cost-effectiveness, and services, driving continuous market share expansion. "Chinese enterprises have gradually increased their overseas market share to about 30 percent, with export gross margins generally eight to ten percent higher than domestic sales. Looking ahead to next year, we expect high growth to continue in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, while the European and American markets may see a slight acceleration," said Sun Boyang, chief analyst for machinery at GF Securities Co., Ltd.
To sustain this momentum, manufacturers are shifting from merely exporting equipment to providing customized research and development.
At a finished product warehouse in Changsha, hundreds of excavators are awaiting imminent overseas shipment. For regions like Africa, where mining operations face high intensity, heavy dust, and poor fuel quality, companies have modified hydraulic systems and reinforced dust and heat dissipation modules to meet specific operational demands.
Alongside regional customization, electrification is becoming another major booster for overseas sales.
Electric excavators offer zero emissions, low noise, and significantly reduced operating costs compared with traditional diesel models, making newly developed electric wheeled excavators highly popular in Europe this year.
"We specifically developed this electric wheeled excavator to meet Europe's high environmental standards, endurance requirements, and multi-data needs. The battery life of this excavator can reach 10 to 12 hours. The standard battery pack included is a 400 kWh unit," said Li Xiaobo, deputy director of the electrification research institute of Sany Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd.
After-sales services, which involve parts supply, maintenance and technical support, are becoming a key part of Chinese excavator makers' export efforts.
Chinese companies are expanding their after-sales service layout, building a complete overseas solution that covers customized research and development, electrification support and global service network coverage.
"Our company supports overseas after-sales with a global three-tier warehousing and distribution system, intelligent forecasting, and emergency channels, achieving a parts availability rate of over 95 percent in core markets. Through global service commitments and tiered management, we can respond within one hour in these areas, so providing full-lifecycle services instead of merely passive repairs," said Zheng Zhe, deputy general manager of Zoomlion Earthmoving Machinery Co., Ltd and general manager of its overseas business department.
China's excavator exports surpass domestic sales amid push for customized global solutions
