The 9th World Investment Forum opened in Doha, bringing together over 5,000 delegates to address cross-border capital allocation. China's Vice Minister of Commerce joined Gulf trade ministers and investors to examine bilateral capital deployment and economic zones. UNCTAD highlighted that cross-border investment into essential infrastructure in developing nations dropped by over 25 percent in early 2026.
GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi and China's Vice Minister of Commerce Li Chenggang met on October 25, 2026, in Doha. The officials assessed progress by technical working groups negotiating the GCC-China Free Trade Agreement. Both sides stressed overcoming remaining trade obstacles to accelerate the formal signing of the deal.
The United States Department of the Treasury has proposed expanding restrictions on American investments into Chinese artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and advanced technology sectors. The draft framework prohibits certain direct investments while subjecting others to mandatory 30-day reporting, with exemptions for standard publicly traded securities. The public comment period remains open until December 7 before final implementation.
Chinese autonomous driving companies including WeRide, Baidu Apollo Go, and Momenta are expanding commercial robotaxi deployments in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The rollouts align with Dubai's goal of making 25 percent of mobility trips driverless. Bilateral cooperation was formalized through a digital economy and AI memorandum of understanding signed by UAE and Chinese ministries.
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