Dubai FTZ attracting more firms from China

An increasing number of Chinese companies have established offices in the Dubai Multi Commodities Center (DMCC) — the largest free trade zone in the United Arab Emirates — which has become a regional launchpad for their global expansion, said a senior executive on Thursday in Shanghai.

The center, a leading international business district that drives the flow of global trade through Dubai, announced growth of over 16 percent in Chinese businesses joining its district in the past 12 months, bringing its total to over 1,000 Chinese companies.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, executive chairman and CEO of DMCC, especially highlighted the growing presence of Chinese technology firms and innovation-focused businesses in the district.

"China is now the UAE's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade exceeding $102 billion last year, and that figure is projected to double by 2030. This growth is underpinned by deeper cooperation across trade, investment and innovation — particularly in artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies, where China has seen rapid growth in recent years," said Sulayem.

Chinese companies settled in the district have seen double-digit growth for five consecutive years, which was largely driven by businesses in AI, blockchain, Web3 and digital infrastructure.

The district is home to more than 130 Chinese technology companies, within a wider community of over 3,400 tech firms, offering Chinese businesses a purpose-built platform for international expansion through Dubai, DMCC said.

Sulayem noted that they have seen China remaining resilient and growing amid global uncertainties, and said that he believes that Chinese companies have not been fully explored. He expects an even faster pace of settlement by Chinese firms at the center in the coming few years.

"For the past 20 years, and I assume also for the next 20 years, China has been, and will always be, predictable with its values and direction … The security and consistency are paramount. When the Chinese leadership and people decide to do something, they do it," said Sulayem.

Holding solid confidence in the future prospect of China's economy and the potential of Chinese businesses' global expansion, the center is hoping to lure more firms from China to join its community, as its three roadshows across the Yangtze River Delta region concluded on Thursday.

The roadshows hit Suzhou in Jiangsu province, Hangzhou in Zhejiang province and Shanghai, three of the most dynamic centers for technology and advanced manufacturing in China, and attracted over 750 Chinese business leaders seeking to expand globally.

As UAE-China economic ties are broadening beyond trade into areas of strategic co-investment, innovation and global market integration, the center is actively translating bilateral momentum into commercial opportunities. As both countries continuously strengthen cooperation, the center is looking to play a central role in facilitating the next wave of Chinese firms' global expansion.