Bilateral Relationship

• The UAE and Shanghai have maintained a sound relationship for decades. In 1996, a working team of the Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipal government paid an official visit to Dubai. As a result, a letter of intention of establishing sister-cities was signed. Dubai and Shanghai officially entered into sister-city relationship on 30 May 2000. Since then, the two cities have exchanged high-level visits and developed friendly ties in trade, urban construction and culture.
• In December 2003, a high-level delegation of Shanghai led by then Deputy Mayor Zhou Yu Peng visited Dubai. During his meeting with HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s Deputy Ruler and the UAE Minister of Finance and Industry, Peng said he was hopeful the tour would lead to expanding avenues of cooperation and increasing volumes of trade and tourism between both cities.
• In April 2009, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and the Prime Minister of the UAE, the Ruler of Dubai made an official visit to China. Shanghai was an important stop. During the visit, Sheikh Mohammed met with Han Zhen, Mayor of Shanghai. The Mayor expressed, “We in Shanghai wish to learn from the successful experiment of Dubai and to benefit from its vast experience in various field”. 
• His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Mohammed also attended the opening session of the UAE-China Business Council meeting and witnessed the signing of several agreements, including Emaar’s MoU with the Shanghai China-News Enterprise Development Ltd. and Estisalt’s MoU with Huawei.
• In return, Mayor Han Zheng led a high-level delegation to Dubai in August the same year. During the visit, Mayor Han Zheng was received by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
• The Mayor said he was impressed with the staggering progress of the UAE and praised Dubai as a distinct world metropolitan city and a melting port for cultures and ethnics. According to the Mayor, Dubai has achieved a matchless progress and prosperity thanks to the prudent vision of Sheikh Mohammed.
• Mayor Han also met with heads of major institutions in Dubai, including  Dubai Municipality  and  DP World and toured the Nakheel’s island developments. While thanking for the institutions for hosting the delegation, Mayor Han expressed great interests in further expanding the existing ties with Dubai in all fields.
• In 2010, Shanghai hosted World Expo that attracted 246 participating countries and international organizations. The UAE Pavilion was voted the most popular international pavilion in a survey carried out by Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Fudan University.

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