Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, begins an official visit to China tomorrow that will provide a major boost to UAE-China relations. The UAE is the Asian giant’s largest trade partner in the Middle East, with bilateral trade this year expected to hit $54.8 billion, compared to only $63 million in 1985, a year after diplomatic relations were established. More than 200,000 Chinese now live here, with half a million tourists visiting last year, and the UAE is a focal point in Beijing’s “One Belt, One Road” strategy to revitalise the old Silk Roads that connect East and West.
These links between China and what we now know as the UAE are not new, however. They date back over 2,000 years. By around 250BC, Chinese goods were already arriving in Arabia by sea. By 2,000 years ago, it is believed, ships were sailing to China from Dibba, commanded by captains who had already mastered the skills that enabled them to sail from west to east and back.
By the 7th century AD, according to one estimate, there were up to 100,000 Arabs and Persians living in the port of Canton (Guangzhou). Chinese Muslim tradition holds that it was there, around 632, that Islam first arrived in China, brought, by sea, by Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqâs, an uncle of the Prophet.
By this time, Gulf pearls were already in demand in China. In later years, during the Sung and Yuan dynasties, the imperial coffers benefited substantially from the taxes levied upon them. The trade in pearls, exported from ports like Hormuz, in southern Iran, and Julfar (modern-day Ras Al Khaimah), was to continue for centuries.
The trade in goods also went in the other direction, for pottery from the Tang period, from 618 to 906, has been found in the southern Gulf. Porcelain and other ceramics have featured in the trading relationship ever since.
Such trade affected even the poorest Gulf residents. On the island of Sir Bani Yas, for example, a temporary fishermen's encampment dated to around the 15th or 16th centuries has produced fragments of imported Ming pottery.
In the early 15th century, the great Chinese admiral Zheng He, himself a Muslim, made seven voyages into the Indian Ocean. One reached down the East African coast to Mombasa and beyond. His fleets were huge: the 1405 fleet, which reached India, is said to have included 27,800 men and 62 treasure ships, with 190 smaller vessels.
Between 1413 and 1433, Zheng came on four occasions to the Arab-ruled kingdom of Hormuz, of which Julfar was a part. Trade goods exchanged, of course, included both porcelain and pearls. The impact of these visits on local mercantile and cultural life must have been enormous.
A change of emperor brought an end to these expeditions but Gulf sea-captains continued to sail to China. Their navigational skills are documented in the works of the UAE's greatest navigator, Ahmed Ibn Majid, also known as the “Lion of the Sea” and born in Ras Al Khaimah in 1421.
At the end of the 15th century, the first Portuguese ships, much smaller than those of Zheng He, rounded the Cape of Good Hope and made their way to India.
In the years that followed, Portugal, and then other European powers like the English, the Dutch and the French, gained control over the maritime trade routes. Chinese fleets came no more – the centuries of Arab domination of Indian Ocean trade came to an end.
From the porcelain found on archaeological sites throughout this country as well as in the records of international trade over the last 400 years, however, it is evident that the commercial links between China and the UAE continued.
The recent development of UAE-China relations, a fundamental element of the “One Belt, One Road” strategy, holds out the promise of a continued revival of this ancient, and long-forgotten, relationship.
Peter Hellyer is a consultant specialising in the UAE’s history and culture
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
FIXTURES
Thursday
Dibba v Al Dhafra, Fujairah Stadium (5pm)
Al Wahda v Hatta, Al Nahyan Stadium (8pm)
Friday
Al Nasr v Ajman, Zabeel Stadium (5pm)
Al Jazria v Al Wasl, Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium (8pm)
Saturday
Emirates v Al Ain, Emirates Club Stadium (5pm)
Sharjah v Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, Sharjah Stadium (8pm)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Second Test
In Dubai
Pakistan 418-5 (declared)
New Zealand 90 and 131-2 (follow on)
Day 3: New Zealand trail by 197 runs with 8 wickets remaining
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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Brief scoreline:
Burnley 3
Barnes 63', 70', Berg Gudmundsson 75'
Southampton 3
Man of the match
Ashley Barnes (Burnley)
Specs%20
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
