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The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology announced that the delegation headed by Hasan Jasem Al Nowais is participating in the China International Industry Fair 2026, which runs through October 16 in Shanghai. According to the ministry, the visit centers on expanding industrial cooperation, identifying investment prospects and forging ties in advanced manufacturing. The ministry described the UAE’s industrial ecosystem as competitive and positioned to serve as a platform for Chinese companies aiming at regional growth.
Participating entities in the delegation include representatives from the EDGE Group, Emirates Development Bank, Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, Emirates Global Aluminum and Aldar, the ministry’s statement detailed. The agenda encompasses exhibition tours, direct meetings with major Chinese manufacturers and targeted site visits emphasizing robotics, automation and smart manufacturing technologies. These engagements are intended to facilitate discussions on technology transfer while showcasing the UAE’s investment environment.
A World Economic Forum assessment found that non-oil trade between the UAE and China reached $111.5 billion last year, marking a 24.5 percent increase that solidified China as the UAE’s top trading partner. The UAE has positioned itself as the Arab world’s largest hub for Chinese businesses, with commercial activities spanning energy, logistics, finance and technology. Such ties have grown steadily, supported by initiatives that align the two economies in emerging sectors.
The ministry is advancing the UAE’s Operation 300bn strategy, which targets raising the industrial sector’s contribution to gross domestic product from 133 billion dirhams to 300 billion dirhams by 2031 through technology adoption and supply-chain enhancements. Central Statistical Bureau data places the strategy’s focus on priority areas including pharmaceuticals, medical technologies, defense, aerospace and the digital economy. This framework underpins the delegation’s efforts to integrate Fourth Industrial Revolution tools across manufacturing.
Earlier Chinese investments in the UAE have included a 300 million dirham intelligent manufacturing facility by China Southern Glass in Abu Dhabi that is projected to generate 400 technical jobs while supplying markets in the Gulf, Europe, Africa and the United States, according to industry reports. The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology has highlighted how such projects support sustainability in supply chains and access to global markets. Similar collaborations are expected to emerge from the Shanghai fair as both sides identify further opportunities in clean energy and advanced materials.
Al Nowais and the accompanying officials will promote the UAE’s regulatory environment and infrastructure as advantages for manufacturers seeking to expand beyond China, the ministry added in its update from the event. The delegation’s presence at the fair aligns with ongoing government drives to diversify industrial capabilities and foster cross-border innovation partnerships. These activities build directly on prior agreements that have accelerated bilateral flows in technology and entrepreneurship.
