Dubai EV Show Launches UAE-China Smart Transport Centre to Help Chinese Firms Enter the UAE

Dawood Al Shezawi, president of the Dubai International Electric Vehicle Exhibition and Conference 2026, announced the centre on Wednesday at a UAE-China industrial cooperation forum on green and smart mobility, according to the state news agency WAM. The Roads and Transport Authority is running the show at Dubai World Trade Centre, with China EV100 as co-organiser.

The centre is aimed at the practical obstacles Chinese firms raise when they try to sell vehicles in the Emirates. Al Shezawi said it was set up after Chinese government representatives and companies, at a meeting on the show's first day, asked for clear routes through licensing and approvals, assurance that their vehicles would work with local charging networks, local service and training partners, and continued access to decision-makers once the exhibition closes.

The centre will work on three tracks, he said. The first is a single point of contact to help Chinese companies deal with the relevant authorities and understand the regulatory requirements, including licensing, vehicle homologation, safety rules and electric charging standards.

The second will link Chinese vehicle and technology makers with UAE fleet operators, charging networks, industrial partners and investors through meetings held throughout the year. The third will support pilot projects for autonomous taxis, autonomous logistics, charging and energy, so companies can test their systems in the UAE and scale them up before moving into other regional markets.

Al Shezawi said the centre is not a conventional office but an institutional framework for keeping the cooperation going between shows, and that its progress will be reviewed at the next edition of the event.

The UAE already serves as an entry point to the region for Chinese mobility companies. Al Shezawi said non-oil trade between the two countries passed $100 billion for the first time last year, up 24.5%. China is the UAE's largest trading partner, and the UAE is China's leading trading partner in the Arab world. He pointed to driverless taxi services, electric buses and new Chinese car models on sale in the UAE as early results.

The forum also discussed moving beyond buying and selling finished vehicles towards local manufacturing, supply chain development and joint research. Speakers cited China's lead in new energy vehicles, batteries, charging technology, connected vehicles and autonomous driving.

Dubai's own targets give Chinese suppliers a sizeable market to aim for. The emirate plans to convert its entire taxi and limousine fleet to electric and hydrogen vehicles by 2040. The exhibition runs until Thursday, and its next edition will show whether the centre's matchmaking has produced licensed vehicles, investments and pilots.