The Year of the Pig
February 5th, 2019 was the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, which this year marks the beginning of the Year of the Pig. Whilst celebrations started on the 5th, there isn’t actually a set date as the Chinese New Year, very much like the Islamic New Year is based on the lunar calendar. Chinese New Year goes from January 21st to February 20th.
Celebrations for the Chinese New Year are happening all over the UAE with:
- Live performance in Dubai Mall,
- A Grand Parade on City Walk with 20,000 participants from all over the world to
- A fully decked out promenade in Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi to celebrate the Orient and
- Dancing dragons & parades at Ferrari World.
You can find an extensive list of celebrations here.
All the celebrations in the UAE for the Chinese New Year should come as no surprise considering the ever-strengthening relationship between China & the UAE. With over $50bn in non-oil trade, 4,000 trading companies & 200,000 Chinese nationals in the UAE, there is much incentive for both governments to further improve on their strategic partnership.
In July of last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping came to the UAE on an official visit aimed at strengthening the ties of an already significant relationship between the two nations. By the end of President Xi’s historic visit to the UAE, the two countries had signed 13 agreements & MOUs covering “technology, innovation and technology transfer to the oil and gas sector, security and law enforcement and culture and tourism.”
A survey conducted by HSBC in 2018 concluded that the UAE-China business corridor is set to expand in a large way. A majority of respondents agreed that China is one of the biggest export markets that should be investigated for future endeavors. Approximately 10% of businesses in the UAE who aren’t yet doing business with China have prioritised entering the Chinese market, & those that are already in business with China plan to increase that business in the next 3-4 years. Additionally, the survey found that UAE respondents are aware of three main factors of entering China:
- Expert insights
- E-commerce and direct selling
- A reliable supply chain
For those of you looking to set up business in China or open branches of Chinese companies here in the UAE (or anywhere) or even those moving to/from China, we have a lot of experience in attesting and authenticating the required documents. Get in touch with us here to find out how we can help you with the paperwork you need – or call us on
+971 (0)4 556 7338.