Official outbound investment data published on September 23, 2026, by three Chinese agencies including the Ministry of Commerce, revealed that Chinese net direct investment in the UAE surged by 237.7% in 2025 to $2.6 billion, up from $770.1 million in 2024. This inflow increased China's total direct investment stock in the UAE by 39.9% to reach $12.47 billion.
According to Securities Times as cited by Alhurra, significant allocations of Chinese capital were directed into Abu Dhabi's Khalifa Port, cloud computing and data centers including Huawei's 5G infrastructure, manufacturing, and renewable energy ventures involving LONGi and JinkoSolar. The UAE currently represents over 40% of China's MENA direct investment stock and captures more than 50% of annual incoming regional capital flows.
Across 17 of 23 countries in the MENA region, Chinese direct investment doubled in 2025 to $4.8 billion, while global outbound FDI expanded by 11.1%. Elsewhere in the region, Saudi Arabia remained China's second-largest asset base with $574.9 million in new investment, bringing total stock to $4.26 billion. In North Africa, direct investment rose in Egypt to $283.6 million, Morocco to $177.42 million, and Tunisia to $78.98 million, while capital flows declined in Oman, Bahrain, and Israel.
Sources
- Alhurra · 2026-09-25
