Inward foreign direct investment projects from China into Dubai surged from 11 in 2021 to 91 in 2025, with registered Chinese member companies at Dubai Chambers reaching 6,650. Chinese enterprises including Meituan's Keeta, J&T Express, and Baidu are deepening operational integration within the emirate across logistics and autonomous transport.
Bilateral trade between China and the UAE reached $108 billion in 2025, with Chinese direct investment standing at $2.6 billion. Over 6,650 Chinese companies are registered with Dubai Chambers as firms including Meituan, Baidu, J&T Express, and Huawei scale regional operations.
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.
Chinese direct investment in the UAE surpassed $12 billion in 2025 as tech firms like Alibaba Cloud expanded data center and AI services. Meanwhile, U.S. policies conditioning access to advanced AI chips on the removal of Chinese core network hardware require Gulf states to navigate conflicting technological relationships. In the UAE, active Chinese technology projects grew to 81 under the Digital Silk Road framework.
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