The News
The UAE is making a major push to deepen ties with China, with back-to-back government delegations targeting investment and tech partnerships.
Dubai officials are in Shenzhen this week, following a six-day tour by Abu Dhabi officials across major Chinese cities that sealed multiple deals. The focus: artificial intelligence, advanced tech, and smart cities — as well as attracting top-tier Chinese firms.
While UAE investments in China surged 120% in the first nine months of 2024, Chinese foreign direct investment in the country rose just 16%. There’s a growing appetite among Chinese businesses to expand in the UAE: Tech giant Baidu is in talks to introduce its Apollo Go robotaxis in Dubai, its first foreign deployment of the technology.
Chinese tourism to the UAE is also surging. Arrivals in Dubai were up 30% to 824,000 visitors last year, and Emirates airline is racing to meet demand. The carrier is expanding its China network, adding Shenzhen and Hangzhou this summer, despite delays in new aircraft deliveries from Boeing and Airbus.