Dubai media officials discuss collaboration with Shenzhen group

Dubai’s Government Media Office has opened discussions with Shenzhen News Group on expanding media cooperation, strengthening institutional links and increasing coverage of the emirate across Chinese news platforms.

The meeting took place in Shenzhen during the Dubai Business Forum – China, organised by Dubai Chambers, bringing together representatives of both organisations to examine opportunities for content development, professional exchanges and collaboration in digital journalism.

Officials discussed ways to improve the flow of information between media institutions in Dubai and China, encourage greater editorial engagement and develop initiatives supporting a broader understanding of economic, technological and social developments in both markets.

Hend Fekri, Director of Strategic Media Relations at the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO), said the discussions reflected Dubai’s commitment to developing international media partnerships and identifying opportunities for cooperation.

She said the office looked forward to encouraging meaningful exchanges and storytelling that would improve mutual understanding and strengthen connections between Dubai and China.

The discussions centred on cooperation rather than a formally announced agreement. No memorandum of understanding, financial commitment or implementation timetable was disclosed following the meeting.

Shenzhen News Group operates several newspapers and digital platforms, including Shenzhen Special Zone Daily and the English-language Shenzhen Daily. Its participation offered Dubai officials an opportunity to engage with established news organisations serving audiences in one of China’s principal technology and manufacturing centres.

The Shenzhen delegation included Florence Sun, Editor-in-Chief of Shenzhen Daily; Dequn Wu, Head of the Economic News Department at Shenzhen Special Zone Daily; Yu Zhang, Chief Reporter at Shenzhen Daily; and Xumei Wu, a reporter in the economic news department of Shenzhen Special Zone Daily.

GDMO was represented by Fekri and Huda Dahkooni, Senior Officer for Communications Relations. Dubai Chambers representatives attending included Mohamad Mouzehem, Manager for Public Relations and Communication, and Ayesha bin Thalith, Associate Manager for Public Relations and Communication.

The meeting followed engagements between GDMO representatives and several other Chinese media organisations during the business forum. These included CGTN, Yicai, Caixin, China News Service, Southern Metropolis Daily, Guangzhou Daily, Shanghai Securities News, Jiemian and Nanfang Daily.

The wider programme reflected an effort to establish direct communication channels with Chinese newsrooms covering business, finance, technology and international affairs. Such engagement could provide opportunities for exchanging expertise and developing editorial relationships, although specific joint projects have not been announced.

The discussions also took place alongside a substantial gathering of business representatives from Dubai and China, providing a commercial setting for exchanges between the two media communities.

The Dubai Business Forum – China concluded in Shenzhen on October 14, attracting 854 Chinese investors and business leaders. Dubai Chambers led a delegation of 112 senior representatives from the emirate’s public and private sectors, its largest overseas business delegation.

The forum featured 22 speakers across 15 sessions examining opportunities in artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, logistics, smart mobility, the digital economy and venture capital.

These subjects also featured prominently in the broader commercial dialogue between Dubai and China, giving media organisations opportunities to examine developments of interest to businesses, investors and audiences across both markets.

Dubai Chambers organised the event under the theme Momentum at Scale: Accelerating Shared Success, with support from the Shenzhen Chamber of International Commerce and the China Chamber of International Commerce Guangzhou Chamber of Commerce.

The programme was designed to connect companies and investors, encourage bilateral business discussions and identify opportunities for commercial cooperation in sectors associated with technological development and international trade.

Shenzhen’s position within China’s Greater Bay Area provided a setting for discussions involving digital technologies, manufacturing and cross-border investment. The city hosts an extensive business ecosystem encompassing technology companies, industrial enterprises and international trading operations.

For GDMO, the meetings formed part of its established international media engagement activities, which seek to develop professional relationships, facilitate exchanges of knowledge and provide overseas organisations with information about Dubai’s development.

The office’s responsibilities include communicating government initiatives and supporting engagement between Dubai’s public institutions and media organisations operating internationally.

The Shenzhen discussions specifically identified digital media and content development as areas for possible collaboration, alongside greater coverage of Dubai by Chinese publications and stronger working relationships between journalists and communications professionals.

The delegation’s meetings with Chinese news organisations took place alongside the forum’s commercial sessions, which brought together government representatives, investors and companies examining opportunities for bilateral cooperation.

The Shenzhen gathering was the fifth international edition of the Dubai Business Forum and its second edition held in China, following an event in Beijing in August 2024 that attracted more than 800 business leaders.