Dubai-China Non-Oil Trade Exceeds $571 Billion Across Past Decade

Non-oil trade between Dubai and China reached 2.1 trillion Emirati dirhams ($571.8 billion) between 2016 and 2025, according to Dubai Chambers Chairman Sultan bin Saeed Al-Mansoori speaking at the Dubai Business Forum – China in Shenzhen. Bilateral non-oil trade expanded 23 percent in 2025, with Dubai’s exports to China rising 25 percent and imports increasing 22.6 percent, Al-Mansoori told Emirates News Agency.

By the end of September, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce recorded 6,650 active Chinese companies, with trade and services accounting for more than 3,830 firms, or about 58 percent of the total. Chinese foreign direct investment into Dubai rose 179 percent year-on-year in 2025 to 3.4 billion dirhams across 91 projects, up from 11 projects in 2021. The leading sectors attracting Chinese capital included automotive manufacturing, telecommunications, metals, automotive components, and industrial equipment. Dubai firms also invested approximately $9.8 billion in China between 2004 and 2025, citing fDi Intelligence figures.

Hadi Badri, CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corp., noted opportunities for Chinese investors in manufacturing, technology, logistics, hospitality, finance, and family offices, noting that total inward foreign direct investment projects in Dubai tripled over four years. Additionally, figures from the Dubai Multi Commodities Center showed its Chinese member community grew 9.4 percent year-on-year to over 1,000 firms, while nationwide UAE-China non-oil trade reached $111.5 billion in 2025.