Software, telecommunications and digital infrastructure
Sovereign wealth funds deployed $14.2 billion into mainland China and Hong Kong in the first nine months of 2026, up roughly 190% from all of 2025. Gulf sovereign funds contributed nearly 70% of the total, with UAE funds ADIA and Mubadala deploying a combined $3.3 billion.
Dubai CommerCity has established a partnership with the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited to assist technology firms expanding between the UAE and China. The initiative enables Middle Eastern firms to access mainland China via Hong Kong while bringing Chinese tech enterprises into Dubai. The framework includes access to office space, mentorship, entrepreneurship programmes, and investor networks.
China's push to export its J-35 stealth fighter faces complex technical and security hurdles due to buyers' existing defense ties with the US, according to a South China Morning Post analysis. While Pakistan is the primary prospective buyer, Middle Eastern partners like the UAE also face delicate balances between Chinese hardware and US security frameworks. The UAE already operates Chinese L-15 trainer aircraft and shelved an American F-35 deal in 2021 over similar technology-safeguard tensions.
Thomson Reuters has launched ONESOURCE Pagero E-Invoicing in partnership with SpendConsole to serve enterprises across the UAE and GCC. The integrated platform connects accounts payable workflows and automated tax compliance under sovereign cloud deployment. The move aligns with the UAE Ministry of Finance's regulatory framework for electronic invoicing and Corporate Tax.
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