(DMCC) has announced a 16% increase in Chinese businesses joining its district over the past 12 months
The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), the leading international business district driving global trade through Dubai, has recorded a 16% increase in Chinese companies joining its ecosystem over the past 12 months, bringing the total number to over 1,000.
The announcement was made during DMCC’s latest Made For Trade Live (MFTL) roadshow to China, which featured events in the Yangtze River Delta cities of Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou – three of China’s leading centres for technology, manufacturing and innovation.
The roadshow showcased DMCC’s growing role as a launchpad for Chinese innovation-focused enterprises, with the district reporting five consecutive years of double-digit growth in new Chinese company registrations – including 19% in 2022, 21% in 2023, and 17% in 2024. Much of this momentum has come from companies in artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, Web3, and digital infrastructure.
Today, DMCC hosts more than 130 Chinese technology companies within a wider community of over 3,400 tech firms, providing a purpose-built platform for Chinese businesses seeking global expansion through Dubai.
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DMCC, said: “China is now the UAE’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade exceeding USD 102 billion last year, and that figure projected to double by 2030. This growth is underpinned by deeper cooperation across trade, investment, and innovation – particularly in AI and other frontier technologies, where China has seen rapid growth in recent years.
We have seen this momentum firsthand with double-digit annual growth in Chinese companies joining DMCC for five straight years, including more than 16% in the past 12 months. Today, DMCC is home to more than 1,000 Chinese companies – over 135 of them in technology – as we continue to refine our value proposition as the district of choice for ambitious Chinese firms expanding globally from Dubai.”
More than 750 Chinese business leaders across Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou attended the roadshow events, which highlighted key areas of collaboration including AI, blockchain, and tokenised assets – sectors that represent growing strategic alignment between the UAE and China.
The visit comes as UAE-China economic relations expand beyond trade into strategic co-investment, innovation, and digital integration. With DMCC contributing around 7% of Dubai’s GDP and accounting for approximately 15% of the emirate’s annual FDI inflows, the district continues to play a central role in converting bilateral cooperation into tangible business opportunities.
As both countries deepen their engagement through platforms such as BRICS+ and expand their shared focus on the digital economy, DMCC is positioned to serve as a key enabler for the next wave of China’s global business expansion.
