China Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai and a transformative 2020 for the UAE

The area is about to get even bigger and Dragonmart will be at the centre of a new Chinatown district, as the Chinese diaspora in the UAE will create 'Dragon City' . An hotel opened at the complex in 2016, with a second hotel under construction. A new showroom and car park complex is also nearing completion, and the first residential component, is set to be completed by 2021. A new road network opened around Dragon Mart and International City – with developers putting over USD$54 million towards the project. So, the area is coming to life.

China is the UAE's largest trading partner with trade volumes between the two countries having doubled over the last five years. This shows that the economic and trade relations between the two countries is developing fast, during a time when the global economy is growing slowly. Trade is a centrepiece of the UAE and China relationship. Growing strongly, trade is now estimated to be worth around USD$70 billion annually. In 2020, there is a target for USD$100 billion in bilateral trade between the nations and USD$200 billion by 2030.

Therefore, it is greatly fitting that such an important part of the UAE community is represented through this wonderful Chinese Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Music, dance and food will unite visitors with stunning visuals and new experiences, providing millions of people from around the world with a taste of the cultural extravaganza that will be a never-before-seen celebration of Chinese culture in the Arab World at Expo 2020.

We invite you to come and join us during this great year for the nation, with Expo 2020 Dubai starting 20th October 2020 and extending all the way into the UAE's Golden Jubilee on 10 April 2021.

The author is ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to China.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.