Chinese tech industry seeks 'new paradise'

TikTok, Huawei and Alibaba are expanding their presence in Dubai, capitalizing on the emirate's open-door policies and tech ambitions as it seeks to reduce its dependence on oil.

Dubai attracts many Chinese technology companies. Photo: AFP .

Dubai is becoming a strategic destination for Chinese tech giants as they seek to expand globally and overcome domestic challenges. Names like ByteDance, Huawei and Alibaba are increasingly prominent in the Gulf emirate’s rapidly growing tech ecosystem.

At the heart of this wave is Dubai Internet City (DIC), home to a number of regional headquarters for the world’s leading technology corporations such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, along with their Chinese rivals. Here, ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, operates a large-scale office with hundreds of employees. A visit by TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi in 2024 further reinforces the company’s commitment to expanding its operations in Dubai.

“Dubai feels like we’re in a tech boom. Companies are still investing, expanding, and hiring, which is the complete opposite of what’s happening in China right now,” said Angela Ji, a TikTok employee who used to work in Beijing.

Dubai’s open-door policy is a strong catalyst for this trend. The city government has established many free zones such as DIC or Dubai Silicon Oasis, allowing 100% foreign ownership. At the same time, the “Smart City” program implemented by the Digital Dubai Authority creates a favorable environment for technology development and investment attraction.

Huawei was one of the first Chinese tech companies to establish itself in Dubai, opening a regional office in 2016. From there, the company expanded into telecommunications, cloud computing, and consumer electronics. Huawei currently has six stores in the UAE, four of which are in Dubai. According to a sales representative, models such as the Mate X6, Mate X5, and Pura 80 are all selling well and are popular with local consumers.

In the cloud computing space, Huawei competes directly with Alibaba Cloud, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services. Last year, at the Gitex Global expo, Huawei launched Cloud Stack 8.5 for the Middle East and Central Asia markets. The company now has more than 6,000 partners in the region.

On Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai’s main thoroughfare, BYD, Nio and Zeekr electric car showrooms are being compared to Bentley or Rolls-Royce, underscoring the growing influence of Chinese brands in shaping Dubai’s digital future.

Source: https://znews.vn/gioi-cong-nghe-trung-quoc-tim-den-thien-duong-moi-post1570492.html