Dubai turning strategic hub for Chinese investors

Chinese banks and investors have achieved great success through their entities in Dubai, reaching a vast market of opportunities in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

The four largest State-owned commercial banks in China by assets are a key driver of the entire banking balance sheet of Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), a financial hub for the region.

Last year, the size of its collective balance sheet for banking was estimated at between $170 billion and $180 billion. A quarter of that came from China's "big four" banks, according to Salmaan Jaffery, the center's chief business development officer.