Dubai · China
Raymond Zhu
I build technology ventures across the Gulf and China.
Over the past decade, I have raised $10M, launched five companies, and led 40-person distributed teams across the UAE and China. I founded Dhow Holding, a venture studio building AI-native businesses in the Gulf, and lead technology and product strategy at World Automotive Group.
Earlier: CTO at TRADE X where I scaled engineering from 0 to 70+ and built AI pricing engines handling $100M+ in transactions. Selected for H.H. Sheikh Mohamed, Ruler of Dubai's Dubai Business Associates Programme and placed at the Prime Minister's Office of the UAE. Founding member of the Dubai Future Foundation.
About
From China to the Gulf
I studied software engineering at Xi'an Jiaotong University (Top 10 in China) and moved to Dubai in 2015 after being selected for H.H. Sheikh Mohamed, Ruler of Dubai's Dubai Business Associates Programme. Placed at the Prime Minister's Office of the UAE, I built technology policy and China-UAE business cooperation. I have been building companies in the Gulf ever since.
My work connects two ecosystems: China's manufacturing and technology base with the Gulf's capital, demand, and growth. I have lived and worked across Xi'an, Toronto, Los Angeles, Shanghai, and Dubai, building products and teams across AI, industrial platforms, and cross-border commerce.
I work natively in English and Chinese, and think across both cultures.
What I'm Working On
Current ventures and roles:
Dhow Holding
I founded Dhow as an AI venture studio. We raised $10M in seed funding and launched five portfolio companies: Wing Go (live-commerce), SoFuture (B2B marketplace), Skyroid (AI SaaS), and Come Come (#1 Chinese delivery app in the UAE), all on a shared cloud-native ML stack. I lead a 40-person distributed team across Dubai and China.
World Automotive Group
As CTO, I am building the data and software layer across the group's automotive businesses: AI capability, real-time data governance, and digital infrastructure designed to compound as a long-term strategic advantage.
China-GCC Business Building
I connect Chinese companies, capital, and operating capability with Gulf-region demand. This builds on a decade of relationships and operating experience across both ecosystems, focused on AI, automotive, and industrial development.
Long-Horizon Company Building
I build for the long term. The businesses I pursue compound through operational depth, proprietary data, and strategic positioning in growing markets.
Focus Areas
- AI and applied AI infrastructure
- Automotive data, software, and fintech
- China-GCC cross-border business
- Industrial platforms and infrastructure in the UAE
- Digital governance and execution systems
Media
Selected coverage and interviews:
Tencent News
War hits the "Middle East Wall Street": will Dubai's financial center status be shaken?
Quoted on Dubai's wartime business environment, crypto outflows, venture slowdown, and the region's long-term strategic resilience.
Yicai
Can Middle Eastern sovereign wealth reshape the AI future?
Cited on Gulf AI investment, local support for AI startups, and earlier company exit in Abu Dhabi.
Sina Finance
I build tech ventures in Dubai
Profile covering Dubai Future Foundation background, Machine Colony, exits, and the view that Dubai runs government with startup-like pragmatism.
Yicai
Under Dubai's D33 agenda, China's "new money" and companies head to the Middle East
Quoted on venture, LP dynamics, and why Gulf capital is tied to real local economic participation.
Sina Finance
When overseas expansion meets war in the Middle East
Quoted on business continuity risk, AWS disruption in the UAE/Bahrain, and how conflict changes operating assumptions in the region.
Silicon Valley 101 Podcast
The Middle East market: a startup ecosystem accelerated by two wars
Guest interview covering eight years in the Middle East tech ecosystem, Dubai Future Foundation, venture exits, and the dynamics of Chinese capital entering the Gulf market.
Contact
Let's connect
I am open to conversations about ventures, partnerships, and investment opportunities. The best way to reach me is by email.