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9/26/25, 4:34 PM Global Digital Trade Expo Opens In China With UAE Participation - UrduPoint
a driver of growth and sustainable development. He thanked China for inviting

the UAE as the Guest of Honour and praised the organisation of the expo.

Al Saleh said UAE-China ties had expanded significantly over the past four

decades, making the UAE China’s top non-oil trading partner in the middle East

and Africa and a gateway for more than 60 percent of China’s trade with the

region. China is now the UAE’s largest global trading partner, reflecting the depth

of their comprehensive strategic partnership.

He added that the digital economy currently accounts for about 12 percent of

the UAE’s non-oil GDP, with plans to double that share to 20 percent by 2031 as

the country strengthens its role as a global hub for advanced technologies and

digital investment.

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The UAE was also the first country to appoint a minister of artificial intelligence
in 2017.

According to UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2025, the UAE ranked 10th

globally for inbound foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2024, achieving an

unprecedented US$45.6 billion in FDI inflows.

Al Saleh highlighted that Chinese investment in the UAE totals about $9 billion,

while more than 16,500 Chinese companies operate in the country, many in

digital trade and advanced technologies.

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