Hi Li Wei, 

Chinese-owned trading companies are not prohibited from opening business bank accounts in the UAE. However, they often go through enhanced compliance reviews, particularly if the business involves significant international trade or cross-border fund movements.

Banks today pay close attention to factors such as:

• The nature of your trading activities and the products you deal in.
• The expected flow of international payments.
• Source of funds and source of wealth for the shareholders.
• Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) information and corporate ownership structure.

In recent years, regulators across multiple jurisdictions have increased oversight on international transactions involving offshore structures and cross-border capital movements. As a result, banks may request additional documents to verify the legitimacy of commercial transactions, especially for import-export businesses.

For trading companies, it's common for banks to ask for supporting documents such as:

• Supplier agreements and customer contracts.
• Commercial invoices or purchase orders.
• Shipping or logistics documents where applicable.
• A detailed business profile explaining expected transaction volumes and countries you intend to trade with.

My advice is to prepare your compliance documents before applying rather than viewing the additional checks as a restriction. A transparent business model and complete documentation usually make the onboarding process for business bank accounts  much smoother.