Member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) celebrated the Chinese New Year (CNY) of Spring Festival this year, with leaders sending congratulatory messages, illuminating iconic buildings in their respective nations, and hosting various events such as fireworks displays, traditional dances, feasts and galas. These celebrations were mainly organised by Chinese embassies in collaboration with host countries. Compared to previous years, these events were more extensive and reflected a strengthening relationship between the two sides.

▲On 28 January 2025, the Wahda Arch in Doha, the capital of Qatar, was illuminated with Chinese New Year-themed lights. (Xinhua).

In 2024, this resulted in a 9% year-over-year rise in Chinese visitors to the UAE, while nearly 400,000 Chinese reside in the UAE on a long-term basis. 

The year 2025 marked the first time since UNESCO included the Spring Festival in its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognising it as the 44th Chinese tradition officially acknowledged by this global cultural body. This, along with the Chinese government’s extended holiday, provided the public with the opportunity to travel overseas, including to the GCC region.

CNY festivities in the UAE

The UAE took the lead in celebrations among the six GCC nations (the other five being Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia). Activities in the UAE began as early as 12 January, with the CNY Gala at the Coca-Cola Arena. On CNY eve, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan sent best wishes to all those celebrating in the UAE and worldwide. “May this year bring peace, prosperity, and joy to you and your loved ones,” he said in a social media post. Other prominent CNY events in the UAE included floating dragon dances on Dubai Creek and holographic fireworks illuminating the Burj Khalifa.

China’s selection of Abu Dhabi as one of the seven cities worldwide to host New Year festivities was well-founded. The UAE’s visa-on-arrival policy for Chinese nationals, along with direct flights from 14 Chinese cities and the acceptance of Alipay and WeChat, has significantly encouraged tourism. In 2024, this resulted in a 9% year-over-year rise in Chinese visitors to the UAE, while nearly 400,000 Chinese reside in the UAE on a long-term basis. Last year, China and the UAE celebrated the 40th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. 

Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, hosted a “Warmly Welcoming Spring, Celebrating Chinese New Year Together” themed market.

CNY festivities in other GCC countries

Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, hosted a “Warmly Welcoming Spring, Celebrating Chinese New Year Together” themed market. King Abdulaziz University initiated a new four-week course, “Discover China and Learn Basic Chinese”, through its Institute of Chinese Science and Culture in collaboration with Safia, a subsidiary of Jeddah Valley. This event marked the beginning of activities commemorating the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Saudi Arabia. Beijing and Riyadh designated 2025 as the Year of Culture, organising a series of events.

Elsewhere, Bahrain’s crown prince and prime minister, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, sent a congratulatory cable to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang for CNY. In January, the Confucius Institute at the University of Bahrain arranged a Bahrain delegation’s visit to China.

In Qatar, iconic landmarks throughout the city, such as the Museum of Islamic Art, the National Museum, the Sheraton Hotel, the Wahda Arch and the Torch Tower, were illuminated in red along with messages that read, “Happy Chinese New Year” or “Happy Spring Festival” in both Arabic and Chinese.

Kuwaiti Princess Al Anoud Alsabah extended her greetings for the CNY in a video message, describing China as Kuwait’s primary trade partner and a key ally in achieving its sustainable development goals, particularly in relation to Kuwait Vision 2035. The Chinese embassy in Kuwait, meanwhile, hosted a reception and organised cultural events. Simultaneously, Chinese media highlighted a group of Chinese construction workers who continued work on a housing project during the Spring Festival to ensure timely completion, symbolising China’s commitment to Kuwait’s development.

In Qatar, iconic landmarks throughout the city, such as the Museum of Islamic Art, the National Museum, the Sheraton Hotel, the Wahda Arch and the Torch Tower, were illuminated in red along with messages that read, “Happy Chinese New Year” or “Happy Spring Festival” in both Arabic and Chinese. For the first time, the Mall of Qatar also organized events featuring Chinese drummers, a dragon parade, Chinese calligraphy, face painting, oil-paper umbrella painting, and ribbon dancing.

The growing influence of Chinese culture

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, China sent two pandas to the country for the first time in the Arab world and built the iconic Lusail Stadium, which hosted key matches, while Chinese-made buses transported fans to the games.

In addition to showcasing traditional cultural artefacts during the CNY celebrations in the region, China highlighted its modern technological achievements, including drone light displays, popular games like Black Myth: Wukong and Honor of Kings, and various brands of electric vehicles.

The festive celebration of Spring Festival in countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam has deep roots due to the longstanding presence of Chinese communities that back decades, or even centuries. The rapid rise of CNY festivities in GCC countries—which do not have prominent Chinese communities—is thus a noticeable trend.

What makes this even more interesting is that the GCC countries have a distinctive Islamic culture that differs significantly from Chinese culture. Moreover, since their independence, all GCC countries have remained under Western political, military and cultural influence. Western culture and the English language are widely known among their citizens, with the West long serving as a favoured destination for education, business, and even settlement. 

However, this trend is gradually shifting. At the state level, the GCC countries and China have steadily strengthened their mutual relations, driven by shared interests in a rapidly evolving world. Both sides take pride in their cultures, which is reflected in their national outlooks and relations with other countries, and both make efforts to promote them.

As Chinese cultural influence in the GCC nations expands—evident in the increasingly vibrant CNY celebrations each year—GCC countries are also actively promoting their culture in China through various initiatives. GCC nations, especially Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, have signed multiple agreements with China to promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges. In particular, they are competing to attract the world’s largest source of tourism: China.

Given this trajectory, cultural engagement between the two sides appears set to grow, and one might expect upcoming CNY celebrations in the GCC to become even more significant. Enhanced cultural understanding will invariably strengthen the overall China-GCC relationship.

The article was first published at Think China, Singapore, February. 7, 2025, https://www.thinkchina.sg/economy/middle-east-nations-woo-chinese-tourists-grand-chinese-new-year-celebrations.

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