Merchants moved between China and the Arab world for hundreds of years on the ancient Silk Road, carrying with them exotic wares and captivating tales. An abiding fascination with each other’s culture had already crystallised by the time an Arab mission arrived in China in 651. So moved was the mighty Tang dynasty emperor Gaozong that he ordered a mosque to be constructed in Changan to memorialise the Sino-Arabian friendship. That affection and warmth, surviving the ups and downs of history, continues to undergird the UAE’s relationship with China.
As the UAE prepares to welcome Chinese president Xi Jinping on a state visit next week, bilateral relations between the two nations are at an all-time high. Commerce, the originator of the bond, is now so extensive between the two nations that China is among the UAE's top two trading partners, the total rising to $52 billion last year. China, for its part, considers the UAE a trusted partner capable of helping it meet its growing energy needs.
But oil is but one aspect of the trade relationship, which includes exchanges in a host of areas. Last year the two nations signed a series of agreements to deepen ties in 13 sectors, including health, education, infrastructure, aviation and financial services. The UAE's geographic position makes it indispensable to the realisation of China's Belt and Road initiative that seeks to revive the ancient Silk Road and forge partnerships among the nations in its path. Their co-operation has the potential to transform the global economy for the better, by helping to integrate nations marginalised by existing trade arrangements into a vast and mutually beneficial marketplace.
Trade, for all its importance, is itself one component of a relationship that is bound together by common values and people-to-people contacts. When Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, became the first GCC leader to be welcomed on a state visit by China in 1990, his hosts stressed the fact that the two "countries hold identical or similar stands on major international issues". The bilateral relationship received a further fillip when Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, went on a hugely successful tour of China in 2015. Beijing last year abolished visa requirements for Emirati citizens, while the UAE remains a proud home to more than 180,000 Chinese residents, who have made significant cultural and economic contributions to this country.
It is a measure of the importance attached by the leadership of this country to China that last year the government introduced Mandarin language classes in government schools. Relations between the two nations have never been deeper, but President Xi's state visit will be a reminder that there are still greater heights to scale.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre flat-six twin-turbocharged
Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic
Power: 445bhp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh474,600
On Sale: Now
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Racecard
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 1 (PA) $55,000+(Dirt) 1,900m
6.35pm: Oud Metha Stakes Rated Conditions (TB) $60,000+(D) 1,200m
7.10pm: Jumeirah Classic Listed (TB)+$150,000 (Turf) 1,600m
7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
8.20pm:+Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 2 (TB) $350,000+(D) 1,900m
8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions (TB) $60,000+(D) 1,900m
9.30pm:+Balanchine Group 2 (TB) $180,000+(T) 1,800m
Teams in the EHL
White Bears, Al Ain Theebs, Dubai Mighty Camels, Abu Dhabi Storms, Abu Dhabi Scorpions and Vipers
Super Mario Bros Wonder
Developer: Nintendo EPD
Publisher: Nintendo
Console: Nintendo Switch
Rating: 4/5
Company Profile
Name: Neo Mobility
Started: February 2023
Co-founders: Abhishek Shah and Anish Garg
Based: Dubai
Industry: Logistics
Funding: $10 million
Investors: Delta Corp, Pyse Sustainability Fund, angel investors
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 190hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.9L/100km
Price: From Dh119,900
On sale: Now
SPECS
Engine: Dual electric motors with 102kW battery pack
Power: 570hp
Torque: 890Nm
Range: Up to 428km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1,700,000
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Revibe
Started: 2022
Founders: Hamza Iraqui and Abdessamad Ben Zakour
Based: UAE
Industry: Refurbished electronics
Funds raised so far: $10m
Investors: Flat6Labs, Resonance and various others
Five personal finance podcasts from The National
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ROUTE TO TITLE
Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices