Bilateral trade between China and the UAE reached $108 billion in 2025, establishing the UAE as China's largest Middle East export market. More than 6,650 active Chinese companies were registered with Dubai Chambers by late September 2026. Major firms, including Meituan, J&T Express, and Baidu, have recently expanded their operations and infrastructure in Dubai.
Baidu's Apollo Go has secured Dubai's first driverless vehicle testing permit allowing operations without a human safety driver. The company also inaugurated Apollo Go Park in downtown Dubai, its first operations hub outside China. The initiatives support the UAE's plan to partner with Chinese technology leaders to roll out autonomous fleets.
Official foreign direct investment data released on September 30, 2026, revealed that Chinese outbound investment into the UAE reached $2.6 billion. The capital flows represent a more than threefold increase over the previous year, elevating the cumulative investment stock to $12.47 billion.
Chinese autonomous driving companies including WeRide and Baidu Apollo Go are expanding commercial robotaxi deployments across the UAE, specifically in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. WeRide has partnered with Uber and Grab, while Apollo Go has deployed autonomous taxis on Dubai streets. Alongside international rollouts, firms face market challenges including financial losses and stock volatility.
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