Chinese Tech Giants Expand Footprint in Dubai’s Growing Digital Economy
- tech360.tv
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Chinese technology companies including ByteDance, Huawei Technologies and Alibaba Group Holding are deepening their presence in Dubai, as the emirate positions itself as a global tech hub.
Dubai Internet City (DIC), a technology park near Palm Jumeirah, has become a base for global tech firms such as Microsoft, Google and Amazon, alongside their Chinese counterparts.
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, occupies several floors in a DIC tower. TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi visited the Dubai office in 2024, signalling the company’s commitment to the region.
Angela Ji, a Chinese employee at TikTok’s Dubai office, said the company offers attractive relocation packages. The office employs hundreds of staff, she added.
“Dubai makes me feel like I’m in an era of economic growth,” said Ji, who previously worked at ByteDance’s Beijing headquarters.
Dubai has reduced oil production’s share of its GDP from 50% last century to under 1% today. The emirate is now focused on developing its tech sector through initiatives like the “smart city” agenda led by the Digital Dubai Authority.
The government has also established free zones such as DIC and Dubai Silicon Oasis, which allow full foreign ownership of companies.
These policies have attracted Chinese firms seeking to expand overseas amid domestic challenges. Chinese nationals are becoming a larger part of Dubai’s expatriate population, with some residing in high-end areas like Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah.
Huawei, which set up its regional office in DIC in 2016, has made Dubai its Middle East hub for telecommunications, cloud services and consumer electronics. The company operates six stores in the United Arab Emirates, including four in Dubai.
A Huawei sales associate said the brand’s smartphones, including the Mate X6 and Mate XT, have gained popularity among local and Chinese consumers. The new Pura 80 series also sold out on its first day.
In cloud services, Huawei competes with Alibaba, Microsoft, Google and Amazon. At Gitex Global last year, Huawei launched its Cloud Stack 8.5 for the Middle East and Central Asia. The company has 6,000 partners across the Middle East and Africa.
Alibaba Cloud opened a data centre in Dubai in 2016 and launched a Middle East & Africa Training Centre in DIC last year. The centre offers training, workshops and certifications for partners and clients.
Alibaba’s e-commerce platform, AliExpress, is also expanding in the region. During the 618 shopping festival, 65% of global sales for Chinese smart-glass maker Rokid came from the Middle East.
Chinese electric vehicle brands are also gaining visibility. Showrooms for BYD, Nio and Zeekr now line Sheikh Zayed Road alongside luxury carmakers like Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
A report by consulting firm Roland Berger described the Middle East as having “extremely high growth potential” for Chinese carmakers, comparing it to China’s automotive boom in the early 2000s.
Autonomous driving is also advancing. Guangzhou-based Pony.ai plans to begin pilot tests of its robotaxis in partnership with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority later this year, with the goal of launching fully driverless commercial services.
ByteDance, Huawei and Alibaba expand operations in Dubai Internet City
Dubai’s tech sector grows as oil’s share of GDP drops below 1%
Huawei and Alibaba compete in cloud services and consumer tech
Source: SCMP