(Yicai) June 12 -- Despite the dark clouds of the war in the Middle East still looming over the Persian Gulf, representatives of Abu Dhabi's political and business circles held the 2026 Abu Dhabi Investment Forum in Shanghai, with investment, technology, advanced industries, and entertainment among key focus areas.

There is enormous potential for deepening ties between Chinese and Abu Dhabi investors, financial institutions, and firms, with unprecedented opportunities for collaboration between investors from both sides in asset management, private equity, sustainable finance, high-end tech, digital assets, and infrastructure, Al Bloushi, chief executive officer of the  Abu Dhabi Global Market Registration Authority, said at the forum, which opened yesterday and ends today.

This year's Abu Dhabi Investment Forum is hosted by Abu Dhabi Investment Office and Abu Dhabi Global Market, with Yicai and its subsidiary Yicai Global as media partners.

Angel Investments has seen the innovation in China's artificial intelligence and robotics industries, hoping to benefit from the country's advanced technologies, noted Executive Director Abdul Hanan Karim. The UAE company is seeking opportunities for collaboration with Chinese firms, he added.

Chery Automobile has launched a Level-4 autonomous driving alliance in Abu Dhabi and participated in building a local intelligent computing center, Vice President Xie Baojun pointed out. In taking part in the construction of the city's smart ecosystem, the Chinese carmaker has always focused on ensuring that the entire process of large-scale commercial use complies with local policies and regulations, continuously improving its products to cater to local market changes, Xie noted.

Specialty stores of Chinese new energy vehicle brands staffed entirely by locals can be easily found on the streets and shopping malls of Abu Dhabi. Such companies generally enter the United Arab Emirates by working with local dealers, leveraging their rich business experience and channel resources.

With the help of Abu Dhabi partners, the robots of Chinese startup Unitree Robotics have been deployed in various local application scenarios, said Deputy General Manager Wang Qizhou. The city also serves as an important hub for the company to sell its products to other countries, Wang stressed.

"Mingtong Group has been operating in Abu Dhabi for three years and announced earlier the launch of the third phase of our local factory project," noted Li Feinan, director of the Shanghai-based industrial valve supplier. "We will not shrink from the outbreak of the conflict, but will raise our investment."

Mingtong's oil valves, its main product, have been on the Middle East market for a long time, initially only available at the trade level, with the firm not building a factory in Abu Dhabi until several years ago, Li told Yicai, adding that products produced by its local plant are supplied locally and to neighboring regions such as North Africa.

"Abu Dhabi is safer than the surrounding regions," Li said. Geopolitical conflicts have caused some Western companies to choose to restructure their operations, which may present an opportunity for Chinese firms, Li pointed out.

The cumulative value of Abu Dhabi's various sovereign wealth funds is around USD1.7 trillion, leading to the city often being referred to as the Capital of Capital.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev