Drawn to the UAE by curiosity and a sense of entrepreneurial adventure, Dubai's Chinese community has rapidly turned a love for their adopted country into commercial success.
DUBAI // First-generation Dubai. This is what the emirate’s community of Chinese traders call themselves more than a decade after a mixture of curiosity and entrepreneurial spirit drew them to the UAE.
They have since put down roots, their children were born here and study in international schools and their elderly parents live with them in a country they now call their second home.
“I’m first-generation Dubai, my children and parents live here, my brother is here,” said Lejun Bao, owner of a lighting firm as well as an electronics and building materials company in Dragon Mart mall.
“But it’s not just the business, it’s also because I have a lot of feelings for this country. My family is here, my business is here so my home is here. I feel comfortable and I tell all my friends in China this.”
WeChat, China’s most popular mobile messaging app, has been abuzz over the past two days with local users sharing photos of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, meeting Chinese president Xi Jinping and visiting the Great Wall of China during a three-day state visit.
“Chinese people are sharing these pictures, most people know about the US$10 billion agreement signed with China,” said Mr Bao, who visited Dubai straight out of university in 2005.
He lives with his family in International City and doubles up as a self-appointed ambassador for the emirate.
“In 45 minutes’ drive, I tell my Chinese friends, I can reach five golf clubs, I can horse ride, shop in the biggest malls, go sky diving, dive in water also.”
He hopes closer ties will attract Chinese doctors, to better communicate with patients from his home country. “People go back to China for health check-ups but if there were Chinese doctors, it would solve problems because most don’t know English,” Mr Bao said.
Expatriates have watched business grow dramatically.
“When I came here few Chinese knew about the country, tourists felt it was a mysterious place. Now Dubai is famous, the main image for Chinese tourists is luxury hotels and luxury malls,” said Huang Yong Fa, managing director of a garment chain.
He started with a small 22-square-foot shop in Dragon Mart and now, 11 years later, he owns 17 outlets across the UAE.
“I have grown and improved in this country so Dubai means a lot,” said the businessman. His four children, aged between two and eight, were born in Dubai.
“There is support from local people and government, so we don’t feel like strangers.”
Working in the UAE has been a step towards independence for others.
“Far away from home makes you stronger,” said Li Yibin, who works in a shop specialising in remote-controlled toy cars.
“My parents say go work in the UAE, it is our friend.”
A testimony to this is a large photograph of the Founding President, Sheikh Zayed, at the Great Wall during a 1990 visit to China, the first by a GCC leader. The photograph has pride of place in the Nakheel office at Dragon Mart, the biggest trading hub for Chinese products outside mainland China.
“Chinese people are welcoming, like us Arabs, they are committed to their work and business, that’s where we meet,” said Omar Khoory, Nakheel’s director of retail. “This visit [by Sheikh Mohammed] will bring people together because more Chinese traders are looking for expansion outside China. The UAE and Dubai offer very good logistics, policies and lifestyle for Chinese traders.”
This rings true for Lucy Xu, owner of the popular Sun Tour restaurant, who visited 15 years ago and stayed to set up a retail and food business.
“All countries are not so friendly to Chinese, we like the UAE because it is an easy place for foreigners. I came to see the famous Burj Al Arab, I saw the people were friendly, the location, policies were good and my family stayed.”
rtalwar@thenational.ae
