World Trade Center

In pre-Islamic times, Nabataean merchants and seamen did business with Chinese merchants and seamen in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka was an important trading center for a thousand years. It was a trade that included Mediterranean civilizations (including Rome), Persia, Arabia, India, China, mainland and island South East Asia (including The Spice Islands).
Sri Lanka added gems, spice, religious philosophy, wisdom, and business know how to that trade.
In more recent years North African Arabs, Portuguese, and the Dutch followed the trade routes via Sri Lanka which had been pioneered by Nabataeans, Chinese, and, perhaps, certain Malay's.