Strong base

The ICCDZ, she said, is expected to play a key role in developing the UAE's manufacturing sector while offering a strong base for Chinese companies to serve the regional markets.

The zone supports five industrial sectors: Metals & Advanced Manufacturing, Petroleum Equipment & Technical Services, Building Materials & Home Furnishings, Renewable Energy & Environmental Technology, and Electric Vehicles & Heavy Machinery.

"Currently, there are more than 26 Chinese projects in Kezad with a total committed investment of approximately $545 million, and there are many more companies that are expected to join this growing community," said Al Hammadi.

Liu Jiawei, chief executive officer of Huawei UAE, told China Daily the information and communications technology, or ICT, sector has increasingly become a cornerstone for economic development globally, and especially for Dubai, an emirate of the UAE.

"As one of the most important cities in the Digital Silk Road strategy, Dubai has always been welcoming to people and companies from around the world, which has helped fuel a collaborative approach to ICT ecosystem development," said Liu.

He said his firm works with governments and industries in an open, transparent, and constructive manner to maximize the social and business benefits of ICT infrastructure.

By 2022, Huawei had established cooperation with 11 universities in the UAE to establish the Huawei ICT Academy and hold the "Seeds for the Future" program and "Huawei ICT Competition", the executive said.

Seeds for the Future program aims to bridge the talent gap in the technology sector by involving students, academics, and other stakeholders.

"Up to now, more than 5,000 UAE local students have participated in Huawei's on-site training programs. We believe it can better contribute to reinforcing Dubai's and UAE's position as a global destination for world-class tech talent," said Liu.

As this year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI, "Huawei will continue to use technologies to enable the industries to lay a solid digital foundation for the digital transformation of Dubai and the UAE in the next 50 years, and contribute to the continued prosperity of China-Arab digital cooperation," he said.

Trade exchanges remain robust and stronger than ever. The UAE is China's top Arab and Gulf Cooperation Council trade partner as of 2021. China is also the UAE's top global trade partner as the value of non-oil trade between the two countries exceeded $72 billion in 2022, reflecting an 18 percent growth from $61 billion in 2021, according to the UAE's Ministry of Economy.