DUBAI, 17th September, 2026 (WAM) — DMCC has recorded 9.4 percent growth in its Chinese business community over the past 12 months, as it concludes a three-city Made For Trade Live roadshow across Shanghai, Wuxi and Xi’an focused on accelerating the next phase of China-UAE trade and investment.
More than 1,000 Chinese companies are now based in DMCC, with over 60 percent concentrated across energy, engineering and machinery, and technology and telecommunications – reflecting the increasingly industrial and technology-led nature of commercial ties between China and Dubai.
DMCC targeted Shanghai, Wuxi and Xi’an for its latest international roadshow to build deeper connectivity with some of China’s most important centres for technology, advanced manufacturing, energy and industrial development. The roadshow connected Chinese businesses with opportunities to establish and scale international operations from Dubai, particularly into high-growth markets across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
The programme comes against a backdrop of record UAE-China trade. Bilateral non-oil trade reached US$111.5 billion in 2025, up 24.5 percent year-on-year, as commercial ties expand beyond traditional trade into advanced technology, new energy, digital commerce and increasingly sophisticated industrial value chains.
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC, said, “UAE-China trade reached record levels in 2025, and this momentum is increasingly reflected in the number and profile of Chinese companies scaling internationally through Dubai. DMCC’s Chinese business community has grown 9.4% over the past 12 months, with over 60% of our 1,000-plus Chinese companies operating across energy, engineering, advanced machinery, and technology. These are the industries that will play a major role in shaping the next phase of global trade.
“This is why we targeted Shanghai, Wuxi, and Xi’an, three cities with significant strengths across these sectors and clear alignment with the ecosystems we are building in Dubai. The new agreements we have signed in Shanghai and Xi’an will deepen that connectivity, creating stronger channels for trade, investment, and direct business exchange. Our objective is to support more Chinese companies in scaling through Dubai, giving them the platform, infrastructure, and networks they need to reach some of the world’s fastest-growing markets.”
As part of the roadshow, DMCC strengthened its institutional links with China through new agreements with the Xi’an Chamber of Commerce (CCOIC) and Shanghai Pudong Service Center for Overseas Investment (SPOI). The agreements will establish frameworks to deepen trade and investment cooperation, facilitate business matching and commercial exchanges, and strengthen direct links between companies in Dubai, Shanghai and Xi’an.
The three stops were structured around areas of direct commercial alignment with Dubai and DMCC. In Shanghai, discussions centred on global trade, finance and technology; in Wuxi, on advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence and industrial technology; and in Xi’an, on energy, engineering and advanced industry. This sectoral focus reflects the composition of DMCC’s existing Chinese business community and the areas in which it sees significant potential for further growth.
In Shanghai, DMCC also convened a dedicated roundtable timed to coincide with the launch of the Chinese-language version of the Future of Trade 2026 report, which examines the changing geography of global commerce and the implications for Chinese businesses.
DMCC’s latest research finds that South-South trade now accounts for around 35% of global trade, compared with approximately 25% for traditional North-North flows, underscoring the growing commercial importance of corridors connecting Asia, the Middle East, Africa and other high-growth economies.
Source: Emirates News Agency