Ahmed Al Khatib, Vice President of Real Estate for Expo 2020 Dubai, speaks during a news conference as he unveils Al Wasl Plaza at the centre of Expo 2020, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 3, 2017. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

DUBAI, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Tourism firms from the United Arab Emirates and China's Shaanxi province have signed deal Monday to boost bilateral tourism at the second annual UAE-Shaanxi Forum.

Dubai-based tourism firm New Century and China's Qujiang RuoCheng Cultural Tourism Company from China's Xi'an signed the cooperation agreement.

Both sides agreed that promotion of tourism cooperation between Dubai and Xi'an can play important roles in strengthening cultural ties along the New Silk Road in line with China's strategic One Belt and One Road initiative.

Earlier in February, the government-owned Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing said the number of visitors from China to Dubai in 2016 stood at 540,000, up 20 percent from the previous year.

Overall tourist arrivals for the year, at 14.9 million, rose 4.92 percent from that of 2015.

Xi'an, the capital of China's central Shaanxi Province, is the eastern starting point of the Silk Road Economic Belt which together with the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road form the Belt and Road masterplan.

Al-Saleh reminded the delegation from Xi'an of Dubai's Emirates Airline expansion in China in May last year by adding Yinchuan and Zhengzhou as the fourth and fifth destination in Mainland China.