Raymond Zhu
Entrepreneur, operator, and investor based in Dubai.
I build and back businesses across AI, automotive, and China-GCC cross-border opportunities. I am the founder of Dhow Holding and currently serve as Chief Technology & Product Strategy Officer at World Automotive Group.
My work sits at the intersection of strategy, product, technology, data, and execution.
About
I am a Chinese entrepreneur based in Dubai, with a background in computer science and over a decade of experience across technology, venture building, and operating in the Gulf.
I have lived and worked across Xi'an, Toronto, Los Angeles, Shanghai, and Dubai. Over time, my work has converged around one question: how to build durable businesses and platforms that connect capital, technology, and real economic demand across regions.
I work in both English and Chinese.
What I'm Working On
I am currently focused on several areas:
Dhow Holding
A Dubai-based holding company focused on technology ventures, real estate, and platform businesses in the UAE and broader region.
World Automotive Group
As Chief Technology & Product Strategy Officer, I work across technology, product strategy, data infrastructure, AI capability building, and digital governance across the group's automotive businesses.
China-GCC Business Building
I am actively exploring and building opportunities that connect Chinese companies, capital, and operating know-how with the Gulf, especially in AI, automotive, industrial development, and real estate.
Long-Horizon Company Building
I am interested in businesses that compound through operational depth, data advantage, and strategic positioning, not short-term hype.
Focus Areas
- AI and applied AI infrastructure
- Automotive data, software, and fintech
- China-GCC cross-border business
- Industrial and real estate platforms in the UAE
- Digital governance and execution systems
Media
Selected media 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
The easiest way to reach me is by email. If you reach out, include enough context so I can quickly understand the opportunity, question, or reason for contact.
You can also find me on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) or WeChat: rayzhux