Sharjah and China explore ambitious partnership in technology and cultural exchange
Senior officials from Sharjah's Department of Government Relations have engaged in substantive discussions with the Chinese Consulate to advance bilateral cooperation across technology, healthcare and manufacturing, alongside proposals for a cultural institute to deepen people-to-people ties.
In a significant expression of shared commitment to expanding bilateral relations, Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Government Relations and the Higher Committee for Economic Integration in Sharjah, has engaged with Ou Boqian, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, to explore opportunities for deepening cooperation across multiple sectors of mutual interest and strategic importance.
The discussions encompassed a notably expansive range of sectors, with particular emphasis on technology, artificial intelligence, data centres, automotive manufacturing, healthcare, and research and development. These conversations reflect a recognition of China’s considerable expertise in digital infrastructure and automation, and Sharjah’s determined progression towards a more technology-intensive and knowledge-based economy. The emirate’s established industrial foundation, with manufacturing accounting for approximately 17% of its gross domestic product, provides a compelling platform for this emerging partnership.
Central to the discussions was a proposal to establish a cultural institute within Sharjah dedicated to teaching the Chinese language and fostering meaningful cultural exchange. This initiative represents a thoughtful recognition that enduring partnerships extend far beyond the transactional realm of commerce, embracing instead the cultivation of deeper institutional and community ties between the two regions.
The timing of these discussions proves particularly propitious, given the remarkable trajectory of travel and tourism between the United Arab Emirates and China. Entries by UAE citizens into China surged by 113% in 2025 compared with the preceding year, whilst the Emirates welcomed more than one million Chinese visitors in 2024 as direct air connectivity has expanded considerably. Such flourishing people-to-people engagement provides an encouraging foundation upon which cultural and economic cooperation may continue to develop.
Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi observed that Sharjah’s approach to international relations is animated by a vision of cultivating enduring partnerships that transcend economic exchange alone, instead embracing knowledge transfer and the strengthening of institutional and community connections. He highlighted considerable opportunities for expanded cooperation in sectors that will shape the future of economic development and quality of life, including artificial intelligence, data centres, advanced manufacturing and healthcare.
This engagement represents the latest manifestation of a growing institutional relationship between the two administrations. In June 2024, the Department of Government Relations signed a memorandum of understanding with the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shandong Provincial People’s Government, with a subsequent delegation from Shandong visiting Sharjah in December 2025. Most recently, in June 2026, DGR led a government and business delegation to Guangdong Province to explore cooperation in technology, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and sustainable mobility.
The economic relationship between Sharjah and China has demonstrated impressive vitality, with bilateral trade reaching approximately AED 6.3 billion in 2025, whilst 851 Chinese companies were operating within the emirate as of June 2026. This substantial commercial presence provides a robust foundation upon which to build further cooperation and investment.
Source: WAM