The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre has recorded 9.4 percent growth in its Chinese business community over the past 12 months, according to a statement from the free zone authority that coincided with the conclusion of its 2026 Made For Trade Live China roadshow. The programme took place in Shanghai, Wuxi and Xi’an, three leading centres for technology, advanced manufacturing, new energy and industrial development. DMCC used the events to connect Chinese businesses with opportunities to establish and scale operations from Dubai into high-growth markets across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.[[1]](https://www.facebook.com/dmcc.jlt/posts/ai-disruption-resilience-and-geopolitical-change-are-influencing-how-businesses-/1407668008058319/)
More than 1,000 Chinese companies now maintain a presence in DMCC, with over 60 percent operating across future-facing industries that include energy, engineering and machinery as well as technology, the authority’s announcement detailed. The growth forms part of sustained expansion that has seen Chinese membership rise steadily in recent years. DMCC maintains a China Representative Office together with business support teams in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing to facilitate this inflow of enterprises.[[2]](https://ae.linkedin.com/company/dmcc)
During the roadshow DMCC signed new agreements with the China Chamber of International Commerce Xi’an and the Shanghai Pudong Service Center for Overseas Investment, the authority reported. Those pacts aim to deepen trade and investment cooperation while improving business matching and direct commercial exchange between the two sides. The deals build on existing ties that position Dubai as a platform for Chinese firms seeking regional expansion.[[3]](https://www.jfdaily.com/staticsg/res/html/web/newsDetail.html?id=1177890)
In Shanghai the free zone also launched the Chinese-language edition of its Future of Trade 2026 report, bringing fresh analysis on shifts in global commerce directly to Chinese business leaders, DMCC said in the statement. The publication draws on roundtable discussions with more than 200 executives, policymakers and trade experts plus survey responses from over 130 companies. It highlights sectors where collaboration between the UAE and China can accelerate, particularly in technology and clean energy supply chains.
Bilateral non-oil trade between the UAE and China reached $111.5 billion in 2025, a 24.5 percent increase from the previous year that pushed the figure past the $100 billion mark for the first time, according to data compiled by the Emirates News Agency. China remains the UAE’s largest trading partner within the BRICS grouping, which accounted for 31 percent of the UAE’s total non-oil foreign trade last year. The Observatory of Economic Complexity separately placed UAE imports from China at $4.27 billion in June 2026, underscoring the scale of ongoing flows in electronics, machinery and vehicles.[[4]](https://economymiddleeast.com/news/uae-brics-non-oil-trade-tops-312-billion-in-2025-up-28-5-percent-as-investment-logistics-partnerships-expand/)
DMCC now connects Chinese enterprises with nearly 27,000 companies across technology, energy, finance, commodities and related fields, Ahmed Bin Sulayem, executive chairman and chief executive officer of DMCC, said in the announcement. “Dubai and DMCC provide a platform for Chinese enterprises to expand international business, connecting them with nearly 27,000 enterprises from technology, energy, finance, commodities and other fields – these are exactly the areas where Chinese enterprises have significant advantages globally,” he stated. “Currently more than 1,000 Chinese enterprises have settled in DMCC with a growth of 9.4 percent in just the past year.”
