The exhibition booth of the United Arab Emirates at the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services held in Beijing in September. LIU HUAIYU/FOR CHINA DAILY
In a rapidly shifting global landscape, the bilateral relationship between China and the United Arab Emirates continues to advance, underpinned by growing trade, investment and key infrastructure initiatives. Their burgeoning partnership is also making significant progress in cultural exchanges, with both nations working collaboratively across multiple sectors.
Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, the UAE's ambassador to China, recently highlighted the mutual trust, broad-based cooperation, and shared vision in tackling global challenges as defining features of China-UAE ties, when describing the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries as a model of international relations.
He noted that 2024 marked the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the UAE. Cooperation between the two countries has deepened in areas such as trade, tourism, culture, education and clean energy. The two sides have signed multiple strategic cooperation agreements, resulting in a significant increase in bilateral investment. At the same time, a series of exhibitions, forums and other events have been jointly held, fully demonstrating the broad development prospects for China-UAE relations.
Trade and economic relations are among the most dynamic and fastest-growing areas of the two countries' cooperation. China has maintained its position as the UAE's largest trading partner for many years, while the UAE is China's largest non-oil trading partner in the Middle East, as well as its biggest export market and primary investment destination in the region.
In recent years, trade between the two countries has experienced leapfrog development, with economic cooperation expanding from mineral products to include sectors such as energy, infrastructure, finance and high technology.
In 2023, bilateral trade reached nearly $100 billion, with figures for the first three quarters of 2024 surpassing $74.5 billion, with the expectation it will exceed $100 billion by the end. Chinese investments in the UAE have also surged, growing by 16 percent year-on-year to $1.3 billion in 2023, accounting for 60 percent of China's total investments in Arab countries. From 2003 to 2023, UAE investments in China amounted to $11.9 billion, spanning sectors including telecommunications, renewable energy, transportation, hospitality and rubber.
During the China (Shanghai)-UAE Industry and Investment Cooperation Conference in January, Mohammad Alhawi, undersecretary at the UAE's ministry of investment, underscored the UAE's unique strategic location, world-class infrastructure and business-friendly environment as key factors positioning the nation as a gateway for Chinese companies to expand in the region. He emphasized the shared vision between the two countries and expressed optimism for deepening practical cooperation.
Clean energy
The UAE was one of the earliest countries to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, which has unlocked vast potential for long-term collaboration. The ambassador stated that a large number of Chinese companies are currently expanding in the UAE market and at the same time, the UAE is committed to increasing its investments in China, benefiting the peoples of both countries.
As both nations focus on sustainable energy transitions, their partnership is poised for even greater expansion in the clean energy sector, which is in line with the UAE's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and China's carbon peak target by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.
A notable example is the Al Dhafra solar photovoltaic station in Abu Dhabi, built by China Machinery Engineering. The Al Dhafra solar power station, which was put into operation in June 2023, is a landmark green energy project under the BRI. As the world's largest single-site solar PV plant, it spans 21 square kilometers, with a generation capacity of 2.1 gigawatts, providing electricity to around 200,000 households and reducing carbon emissions by 2.4 million metric tons annually. It has also generated 5,000 local jobs.
Abdulaziz Alobaidli, chief operating officer of the project's developer Masdar, a pioneer in advancing the UAE's sustainability and clean energy sector, praised the project as an example of Chinese photovoltaic companies contributing to global carbon neutrality goals.
Chinese companies are also involved in wind energy projects in the UAE. Constructed by PowerChina, the UAE wind power demonstration project, which began operations in 2023, generates enough electricity to power over 23,000 households annually, cutting carbon emissions by 120,000 tons.
Peng Gang, general manager of PowerChina's Middle East and North Africa regional headquarters, lauded the project as a testament to the economic viability of wind energy in the UAE and a showcase of China's technological leadership.
Bilateral ties
Cultural exchanges remain a cornerstone of the China-UAE partnership, driven by an array of cultural events, education and tourism.
At a recent cultural and creative exhibition in Dubai themed on China-UAE bilateral ties, Zhao Liyan, chief representative of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade in the Gulf region, emphasized the vital role the cultural and creative industries play in fostering mutual understanding.
She noted that the UAE is one of China's most cooperative and successful Middle Eastern partners in both the economic and cultural realms. The Dubai exhibition features a variety of Chinese cultural products, including classical Chinese decor, creative furniture, office supplies, traditional handicrafts and tech gifts, showcasing the depth of China's cultural creativity.
In July 2019, China and the UAE signed a memorandum of understanding in Beijing, launching the Hundred Schools Project. Over the past five years, the project has developed rapidly, and learning Chinese has become a new trend in the UAE.
The program covers students from kindergarten to high school. To date, more than 170 schools in the UAE offer Chinese language courses, with over 70,000 students learning Chinese.
"Cultural exchanges and dialogue between China and the UAE are crucial for promoting mutual understanding and respect. The fruitful results of Chinese language teaching have laid a solid foundation for lasting friendship between different generations in China and the UAE," said Fatma Bastaki, project manager of the project of Chinese language education in the UAE.
Tourism between China and the UAE has witnessed significant growth in recent years. In 2023, the UAE welcomed nearly 1.5 million Chinese tourists, a significant increase on previous years. The country's luxurious shopping malls, iconic skyscrapers such as Dubai's Burj Khalifa, world-class hotels, and cultural landmarks including the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Dubai Museum have become major attractions for Chinese travelers.
wangjinhui@chinadaily.com.cn
