Fifth Global Digital Trade Expo Concludes with $255 Million in China-Arab Deals

The fifth Global Digital Trade Expo concluded in Hangzhou, attracting more than 50,000 participants from 163 countries and regions to foster international digital commerce cooperation, according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM). During the event, the China-Arab AI International Cooperation dialogue brought together over 200 Chinese and Arab business representatives. Seven bilateral cooperation projects valued at $255 million were formally signed, centering on robotics, artificial intelligence, and smart manufacturing, alongside discussions on trade and special economic zone partnerships involving BRICS nations.

Separately, data from the UAE-China Chamber of Commerce indicates that Chinese annual outbound direct investment reached $213.58 billion, with Middle East flows more than doubling. The UAE served as the primary regional recipient, securing $2.6 billion in direct investment, representing a more than threefold increase over the previous year. This capital inflow aligns with continuing operational expansions by major Chinese enterprises across the emirates.

Among active enterprises, Keeta UAE, a food delivery platform under Chinese tech group Meituan, reached its first full year of operations on September 29, 2026. General Manager Lucas Xie reported that the platform expanded across all seven emirates by adapting Meituan's algorithmic dispatch and real-time route optimization technologies to local logistics infrastructure and consumer behavior, with second-year growth focused on predictive logistics and artificial intelligence.

Institutional and technological integration expanded further as Abu Dhabi Global Market signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Shenzhen's Futian District People's Government to collaborate on financial services, AI in finance, talent development, and Qualified Foreign Limited Partner structures. Additionally, Baidu inaugurated a 2,000-square-metre Apollo Go operations and control centre in Dubai to advance commercial robotaxi deployment, supporting the emirate's target of 25 percent autonomous transportation by 2030 after exceeding 4 million operational kilometres across commercial and testing stages.