Dubai Courts China’s Next Tech Champions

When a little-known Chinese startup rented the cheapest-tier booth at a venture conference in Dubai last October, few took notice. Three months later, the company’s valuation had surged into the billions. That startup was DeepSeek, and its sudden rise has become an example of how Dubai is positioning itself as a launchpad for China’s next generation of global tech contenders.

The encounter took place at Expand North Star, a startup summit that last year drew more than 1,800 companies from 90 countries, said Saeed Al Gergawi, vice president at the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy. Rather than appearing with its peers at the China pavilion, DeepSeek was on its own, he said. 

“The founders were there ... We met with them very briefly. They’re very low profile. They just said, ‘Were here to explore,’” Al Gergawi said in a media interview on Nov. 24. “And then three months later, a few billion dollars [in valuation].”

The anecdote highlights the Dubai Chambers’ push to identify and court Chinese innovation as the emirate seeks to transform its economy through its Dubai Economic Agenda D33. With offices in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Hong Kong, the chamber is positioning Dubai as a global launchpad for Chinese technology firms ranging from drone logistics to artificial intelligence (AI).