The UAE and China launched the Qingdao Overseas Integrated Service Centre (QOISC) during the China-Arab Business Forum held in Qingdao. The centre aims to further boost the growing $400 billion trade between China and the Arab world.

The initiative, backed by Chinese firms SepcoIII Electric Power Construction Co. and Hisense Group, seeks to deepen commercial ties and support regional expansion for businesses from both sides.

At the forum, 40 projects worth $5.93 billion were signed, spanning high-end manufacturing, new energy, advanced materials, and information technology. Organizers say the QOISC will serve as a strategic platform to facilitate trade, investment, and industrial cooperation, with the UAE positioned as a regional hub for Chinese enterprises.

Trade between China and Arab nations has grown significantly, from $36.7 billion in 2004 to over $400 billion in 2024. China’s trade with Saudi Arabia reached $107.5 billion last year, while trade with the UAE grew 7.2 percent year-on-year to $101.8 billion.

Experts note that China’s deepening engagement with Arab states reflects a strategy to diversify partnerships and reduce overdependence on Western markets. The new centre is expected to play a key role in connecting businesses through overseas industrial parks, exhibitions, and supply chain matchmaking.

According to Mohammed Saqib, Secretary-General of the China India Middle East and North Africa (Chimena) Business Council, “The launch of the service centre is a significant move that will accelerate the $400 billion trade between the two growing economic blocs.”

Saqib noted that by using the UAE as a hub, the QOISC will help speed up the creation of an export-oriented alliance aimed at reaching regional markets.

“It will actively engage in activities such as overseas industrial parks, international exhibitions, and procurement resource matching, linking business opportunities, optimising resources, and fostering coordinated development,” he added.