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9/26/25, 4:34 PM Global Digital Trade Expo Opens In China With UAE Participation | Pakistan Point

Global Digital Trade Expo Opens In China With UAE

Participation

1 day ago

HANGZHOU, (Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2025) The fourth Global Digital Trade Expo
opened on Thursday in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, with the UAE taking part as an official
Guest of Honour alongside Indonesia.

The opening ceremony was attended by Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, UAE Ambassador to
China; Abdullah Ahmed Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism and
head of the UAE delegation; Muhannad Sulaiman Al Naqbi, UAE Consul-General in Shanghai;
as well as senior officials, representatives of government entities and national companies.

In his address, Al Saleh underscored the importance of the event in strengthening global
economic cooperation, particularly in digital trade, which he described as 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. 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.

He also invited Chinese firms in digital trade and emerging technologies to view the UAE as a
strategic launchpad into Middle Eastern, African and Asian markets.

The UAE pavilion at the expo features ten government and private exhibitors showcasing
national initiatives in digital transformation, AI, FinTech, and smart government services.

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