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He Huifeng

In April, a family from the United Arab Emirates – four adults, three children and a nanny – spent about 300,000 yuan (US$44,228) on a seven-day educational and business tour to China.
The trip was nearly cancelled as the Iran war repeatedly disrupted their flights and travel plans, but they eventually arrived in Shanghai.
“Their willingness to make the trip was unwavering,” said Lilian Liu at Middle East-focused tour operator UFOX Travel, who hosted the family. Such clients barely existed a few years ago, Liu said.
Her business once followed a familiar formula: taking Chinese entrepreneurs to Dubai and Abu Dhabi to explore property projects, free trade zones and energy developments, while organising study tours for Chinese students travelling to the Middle East.
The shift became apparent last winter, she noted, when she hosted a group of more than 40 students from a private high school in Abu Dhabi, many of whom came from middle- and upper-income families.
By the end of the trip, the group was most excited not by Shanghai’s tourist attractions but by robotics showrooms, real-world AI applications and the digital infrastructure visible throughout China’s cities.
“They came with lots of questions,” Liu recalled. “What are Chinese universities and tech majors like? How advanced are AI and robotics? They were interested in figuring out whether China might be a place for their studies and development.”
Liu has since received a growing number of inquiries from families and schools in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman looking to take children to cities such as Shanghai, Hangzhou and Shenzhen to explore China’s education system, technology sector and business environment.
The emerging demand reflects a broader shift, as social media platforms like TikTok expose Middle Eastern youth to a different, more contemporary image of China. Breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, new energy vehicles and advanced manufacturing have also strengthened the country’s appeal as a window into future industries, while improved visa access between China and Gulf countries has made travel easier.


According to Chinese immigration authorities, inbound arrivals from Gulf countries rose sharply in 2024 and continued to grow in 2025, following the expansion of visa-free policies. The China Culture Centre in the UAE reported that over 150,000 nationals from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries travelled to China last year, a more than 100 per cent increase compared with 2024.
This summer, Liu’s team expects to host multiple school groups and family delegations from across the Gulf. She observed these clients all shared a similar profile: parents who typically hold positions in government agencies or work in the energy sector, finance or trade, with some running family-owned enterprises.
In the eyes of these wealthy Middle Eastern customers, China is no longer just a trading partner; it has become a potential option for both education planning and long-term business strategy.
Some families are already considering longer-term plans in the world’s second-largest economy. “Some clients tell me that keeping all their wealth and investment in the Middle East feels increasingly risky,” Liu said. “They are checking how to open a bank account and companies in China where they can diversify.”
Kent Cai, founder of Ningbo New Way, which runs tailor-made study tours and exchange programmes in Zhejiang province, said he had observed a similar pattern beyond the Gulf region.
“Interest in coming to China is definitely becoming stronger, whether it’s from the Middle East, Southeast Asia or Africa,” Cai said. “Easier visas, better connectivity and lower costs make China much more accessible than before.”
He added that the implications could extend beyond education. “The more students and families come to China, the more it will influence trade, business ties and perceptions of China in their home countries over time,” he said.
For Liu, the market is still in its early stages, but the direction is becoming clearer. Educational tours and business visits are increasingly merging into a single product: children explore schools and technology, while parents assess markets and industries during the same trip.
“What they’re really trying to decide,” Liu said, “is not whether the trip is worthwhile. It’s whether China is a place where their children can study, live and build a future.”


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Growing interest in China’s tech sector is reshaping Gulf travel to the world’s second-largest economy


Growing interest in China’s tech sector is reshaping Gulf travel to the world’s second-largest economy.


Why China is attracting wealthy Gulf families in search of education, tech and business

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Growing interest in China’s tech sector is reshaping Gulf travel to the world’s second-largest economy

Growing interest in China’s tech sector is reshaping Gulf travel to the world’s second-largest economy