A partnership of kindred spirits

By 2029, the air taxi market is projected to be worth $80.3 billion, compared with $4.9 billion last year, according to Indian market research firm Spherical Insights.

For Ali the flight attendant, riding on a flying taxi between skyscrapers is an exciting prospect. "It will help with the traffic because you'll skip congestion. Then you can see many places in a shorter time. So for tourists coming to Dubai who don't have a lot of time, it will make exploring the city much easier."

The warm ties between the two cities epitomize the robust relationship that China and the UAE enjoy, the fruit of an agreement made on Nov 1, 1984, when they established diplomatic ties.

"Over the past 40 years, the relationship has been highly fruitful," says Ou, the consul-general in Dubai.

"Both have leveraged their special status as historical trade hubs to explore new areas and achieve remarkable success. Most importantly, both have chosen a development path that suits us well," she says.

"The good internal and external environment ensures our long-term development. We both have visionary leaders and efficient, pragmatic governments. This is among the most important factors in ensuring the long-term economic development of our two countries."

For Alshamsi, the consul-general in Guangzhou, the UAE and China have indeed enjoyed robust bilateral economic ties over the years.

To further strengthen these ties, she thinks there are several key areas such as new energy, financial services and tourism industry, where both nations can deepen existing partnerships.

She believes there is immense potential for collaboration across these various fields, which will "transcend barriers and bring us together for the common good".