Chinese firms bring homegrown expertise, innovation to fuel Dubai’s growth

BEIJING, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) — A growing number of Chinese companies are expanding their business activities in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), translating their experience in China into more localized business practices that benefit the host community.

From trade to investment, China’s economic ties with the UAE are gaining momentum, with Dubai emerging as a magnet for Chinese businesses looking to expand overseas.

In 2025, bilateral trade between the UAE and China reached 108 billion U.S. dollars, making the UAE China’s largest export market and second-largest trading partner in the Middle East. Chinese exports totaled 72.88 billion dollars, while imports from the UAE amounted to 35.12 billion dollars. China’s direct investment in the UAE reached 2.6 billion dollars last year, official statistics show.

The growing business presence of Chinese firms is increasingly visible in Dubai. The number of active Chinese member companies registered with Dubai Chambers has more than doubled since 2016, reaching 6,650 by the end of September.

CHINESE EXPERIENCE, LOCAL BENEFITS

In Dubai, hot meals now arrive faster and at lower prices.

Since Keeta, the international brand of Chinese food delivery giant Meituan, entered the market in September 2025, the company has brought its homegrown delivery model to the UAE, reshaping the experience for both customers and riders.

At the heart of its service is an “on-time promise” that has made punctual delivery a selling point. For local consumers, the appeal means more competitive prices and meals that arrive hot and on schedule.

Behind each delivery is a logistics algorithm designed to make better use of riders’ time. By helping them complete more orders per hour, the system can boost their earning potential, creating an incentive for more people to join the industry.

The ripple effects are reaching beyond the food delivery sector, extending even to driving schools as more job seekers look to obtain the licenses needed to work as riders.

“The entry of new platforms like Keeta is fueling strong competition for riders. This has led to improved pay scales and structured benefits, encouraging more job seekers to invest in a license,” explained Suzanne Accetta, CEO of Dubai’s First Driving Centre.

Chinese companies are not only improving local consumer services, but also actively aligning their operations with the emirate’s long-term development vision.

In 2023, Dubai launched the ambitious Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), a comprehensive 10-year strategy aimed at building the emirate into one of the world’s top five logistics hubs.

The plan has opened up opportunities for firms such as Chinese express delivery company J&T Express, which views Dubai as a strategic gateway connecting the company’s operations across the Middle East. J&T has now invested in a large automated warehouse and sorting center in Dubai Industrial City, adding capacity to the emirate’s logistics infrastructure while advancing its own regional expansion.

EMPOWERING LOCAL INNOVATION, DEVELOPMENT

On Dubai’s roads, the arrival of driverless taxis is offering a glimpse of how Chinese technology is helping shape the emirate’s next phase of development.

In April 2026, Chinese internet company Baidu, in partnership with Dubai Taxi Company (DTC), launched Apollo Go, a commercial driverless ride-hailing service in the emirate, bringing autonomous driving technology into everyday urban mobility.

“Baidu Apollo reflects the integration of autonomous mobility systems into an emerging global framework for applied AI deployment,” Yang Nan, vice president of Baidu and general manager of the overseas business unit, intelligent driving group, said at the Dubai Business Forum China held by Dubai Chambers in south China’s Shenzhen on Wednesday.

This launch has highlighted the importance of local regulatory support. In March 2025, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with Apollo Go to test 100 autonomous taxis. In November 2025, Dubai introduced a comprehensive regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles, setting out safety standards and operational guidelines to support their deployment.

The arrival of driverless taxis in Dubai is setting off changes that extend well beyond the roads, prompting advances in regulation, financial services and the wider innovation ecosystem.

In September, the UAE approved new federal rules covering the inspection, registration, licensing and testing of self-driving vehicles, establishing a common national framework for regulating the technology.

In May, Dubai Insurance launched a specialized coverage framework tailored to DTC’s self-driving fleet. By encouraging regulatory and financial services to innovate, the Chinese company is contributing to the broader foundation for Dubai’s smart city development.

Building such an innovation-driven economy, however, requires more than advanced technology. It also depends on a steady supply of skilled local talent. Chinese technology company Huawei, for instance, has integrated its ICT Academy into the core curriculum at the College of Technological Innovation at Zayed University in Dubai, bringing courses in cutting-edge artificial intelligence and cloud computing into official degree courses.

Speaking at the forum in Shenzhen on Wednesday, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, chairman of Dubai Chambers, said China-Dubai ties were entering a new phase, marked by a shift toward the “co-creation of industries, capital flows and innovation platforms.”