EW Issue 4 August-September 2025 DIGITAL | Page 12

Partnership

Forum in Dubai drew 200 government and business representatives. In August 2024, the Dubai Business Forum was held in Beijing – the first time the event has had an international edition. It attracted 800 Chinese business leaders and investors.

“ China has always been a market of great strategic importance to Dubai, which is reflected in our decision to host the first international edition of the Dubai Business Forum in Beijing,” His Excellency Mohammad Lootah, president and CEO of Dubai Chambers, said.

GITEX Dubai GITEX Dubai 2024 was a prime example of how deep China-UAE events integration is. Over 260 Chinese firms exhibited at the tech show – from giants to startups – compared to the USA’ s 222, the UK’ s 49 and Germany’ s 30. The Chinese exhibitors displayed wow factor. EV manufacturer Xpeng Aeroht showcased one of its most impressive creations – a flying car. Chinese companies also revealed the latest in drone and robot tech.

So important is Chinese participation in GITEX Global that 36Kr, the Chinese tech media platform, provided editorial coverage of Expand North Star, a five-day summit under the umbrella of GITEX, for its Chinese readership. The company covered Expand North Star’ s interviews, product launches and

ADIPEC( energy) 111 84 111 90 69

Big 5 Global( construction) 729 39 34 134 119 Dubai Airshow 21 27 8 6 6

GITEX Global( tech) 261 222 49 30 36

tech showcases, as well as reporting on Chinese exhibitors in attendance. 36Kr explains that it also provided“ contextualised narratives for Chinese readers”, including“ why Dubai is positioning itself as a gateway for China’ s outbound tech companies” and“ how Middle Eastern markets are evolving as key partners”.

How large is Chinese exhibitor presence at UAE shows? We examined the exhibitor lists of five major UAE trade shows – ADIPEC, Big 5 Global, Dubai Airshow, Dubai

Left: Aviation Industry Corporation of China displays the AR-500 UAV at Dubai Airshow

Left: UAE pavilion at Airshow China

International Boat Show and GITEX Global. China’ s presence at each of the shows is impressive, usually eclipsing the USA, UK, Germany and India. Data was taken from the most recent exhibitor lists available.

New flight paths between Dubai and China Travel options between the two countries are also becoming more varied. Emirates launched daily flights between Dubai and Shenzhen on 1 July. Hangzhou-Dubai service will begin on 30 July. The expansion brings the airline ' s weekly China operations to 49 flights across four mainland cities.

Public perception: China as a major economic partner Public perception in the UAE is that China is an important economic ally. 62 % of Emiratis viewed the Chinese as an“ economic partner”, more so than a“ security partner”( 10 %), in a 2021 study by The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Conversely, just 35 % of Emiratis viewed the USA as an“ economic partner”, compared to 30 % as a“ security partner”.

China-UAE integration is accelerating rapidly. With major Chinese presence at Dubai shows, increasing flight paths and delegations flying from one nation to the other, the bond looks set to become a major global partnership. Perhaps with weight of Chinese financial support, UAE-based organisers like DWTC will begin to compete with the other international heavyweights. EW

12 Issue 4 2025 www. exhibitionworld. co. uk