Dubai Seeks 20% Manufacturing Boost Through Deeper Chinese Ties

Manufacturing Growth Target

Dubai is aiming to raise its manufacturing sector’s contribution to 20 percent by attracting more Chinese firms, said Sultan Al Mansoori, Chairman of Dubai Chambers, in an interview with Khaleej Times on 14 October 2026. He explained that the emirate intends to draw on Chinese manufacturing expertise, replicate it locally, build the necessary infrastructure and then use it to serve the wider region.

Al Mansoori noted that the current share stands at between nine and eleven percent and needs to jump to around twenty percent, which will require the right infrastructure and skilled industrial workers. He told Khaleej Times: “We need to jump with our numbers from 9 or 11 percent right now, up to maybe 20 percent,” and added, “To do that, we need to be able to build the right infrastructure with the right people who succeed in industrial manufacturing.”

Speaking on the sidelines of the Dubai Business Forum in Shenzhen, China, where his delegation was the largest from outside the emirate, Al Mansoori said manufacturing is a key priority for Dubai’s business with China, alongside artificial intelligence, mobility, logistics and renewable energy. He said: “The message is we are ready, we are open, and we would like to work together to establish this kind of structure in Dubai.”

Trade Figures

UAE‑Sino relations have existed for more than forty years, with non‑oil trade volume having doubled since the ties began. According to the UAE’s minister of foreign trade, Thani Al Zeyoudi, bilateral non‑oil trade surpassed $111.4 billion (Dh409.1 billion) in 2025, a rise of 25 percent on the previous year. In Dubai alone, the figure grew 172‑fold over 35 years, reaching Dh363.5 billion in 2025. Between 2016 and 2025, non‑oil trade increased by 118.4 percent. Officials expect total trade between the two countries to reach $200 billion by the end of the decade.

Chinese Company Presence

Dubai has become a favoured destination for Chinese firms looking to open offices across various sectors. The number of Chinese companies registered as active members of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce has more than tripled since 2016, amounting to 6,650 by the end of September 2026. In the same period, the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) recorded a 9.4 percent increase in Chinese‑based companies, with over 60 percent of its 1,000 registered firms operating in energy, engineering and machinery, and technology and telecommunications.

Financial Sector Ties

The banking link has also strengthened. Beijing‑based China Securities opened a regional office at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), joining five of China’s largest banks already present there. Together, these six Chinese banks hold more than 30 percent of the total assets in DIFC’s Banking and Capital Markets sector.