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China–UAE News
Source: Finimize

Chinese Autonomous Driving Startup Momenta Targets Thousands of Robotaxis and Dubai Launch

Mercedes-backed Chinese autonomous driving startup Momenta plans to expand its robotaxi fleet from over 100 vehicles today to several thousand by the end of next year. The company is currently testing vehicles in Abu Dhabi and Munich, with Dubai scheduled as its next deployment market. To cut costs, Momenta is working with XHeart on custom computing chips as an alternative to Nvidia hardware.

China–UAE News
Source: China Daily Global Edition

Gulf Tourism Rebounds as Dubai Targets Chinese Visitors and Industry Partnerships

More than 2,800 exhibitors participated in the Arabian Travel Market 2026 in Dubai, where the "Nihao! China" pavilion facilitated business negotiations between Chinese and foreign tourism entities. Data from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism shows Dubai welcomed 6.97 million international overnight visitors in the first eight months of 2026, with August recording 869,000 visitors. Dubai tourism officials are strengthening partnerships with Chinese digital platforms, including Ctrip, Xiaohongshu, and Meituan, to encourage the return of Chinese travelers.

China–UAE News
Source: South China Morning Post

Saudi Arabia mBridge Exit Highlights Realities of Cross-Border Payment Diversification

Saudi Arabia's central bank ended its participation in the mBridge multi-CBDC platform after finishing a proof of concept in May 2025, according to an analysis published by the South China Morning Post citing the Financial Times. The project continues with participants including mainland China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and the UAE, alongside the recent activation of the Monetary Authority of Macao. The author argues that payment diversification reflects practical settlement efficiency rather than an outright abandonment of the US dollar.

China–UAE News
Source: konsulteer.com

Mercedes-Backed Momenta Targets Dubai and European Expansion for Robotaxis

Chinese autonomous driving company Momenta Global plans to expand its robotaxi fleet to several thousand vehicles next year, targeting deployments in Dubai and additional European cities. The company is currently testing autonomous vehicles in Abu Dhabi, Munich, and five cities in China. Momenta is also collaborating with chipmaker XHeart on custom computing hardware to lower deployment costs.

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