China's outbound direct investment into the United Arab Emirates reached $2.6 billion, more than tripling compared to the previous reporting year, according to figures released by the UAE-China Chamber of Commerce. The surge positions the UAE as the top Middle Eastern recipient of Chinese direct investment capital, pushing the cumulative investment stock to $12.47 billion as bilateral non-oil trade surpassed $100 billion.
In the technology sector, Chinese autonomous-driving firm Momenta announced plans to deploy commercial robotaxis in Dubai by 2027 and expand its global test fleet from just over 100 vehicles to several thousand units over the next 18 months. Momenta is already conducting road trials in Abu Dhabi, Munich, and five Chinese metropolitan centers. Concurrently, Chinese autonomous driving peers including WeRide and Baidu Apollo Go are also expanding commercial operations in the UAE, with Apollo Go deploying vehicles on Dubai streets and WeRide partnering with Uber and Grab.
Financial and industrial linkages also expanded across the emirates. Beijing-based China Securities received regulatory licensing from the Dubai Financial Services Authority to establish a regional office in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), where Chinese banking institutions now hold more than 30 percent of total banking and capital markets sector assets. In logistics, JINGDONG Property concluded an agreement to build a 150,000-square-metre logistics complex in Abu Dhabi's KEZAD zone.
In energy, ADIPEC 2026 in Abu Dhabi is set to host 353 Asian companies, including Chinese firms Sinopec, CNPC, CNOOC, CATL, Envision Energy, Baofeng Steel Group, Beijing JJC Technology, Hengyun, and ZhenHua Oil, with ZhenHua Oil Chairman Wang Yuetao confirmed as a speaker.
Sources
- Arabian Business · 2026-09-30
