Abu Dhabi :  Chinese President Xi Jinping will arrive in the UAE on Thursday for a visit that will cement the increasingly close relationship between the UAE and China.

The UAE has rolled out the red carpet for the Chinese premier’s three-day visit that begins today.

China is the fourth largest visitor source market for Dubai, with tourist and business traveller arrivals at 401,000 between January 1 and May 31, 2018 – a growth of nine per cent over the same period in 2017.