DUBAI -- The suspected murderer of a Chinese citizen in Dubai was arrested, the Chinese general consulate said on Saturday.

Ma Xuliang, deputy general consul said the prime suspect arrested by Dubai police is a French citizen of Algerian origin, who allegedly robbed 1.02 million dirham (277,929 US dollars) before killing the victim.

The crime occurred on Thursday at around 2:50 pm local time in an elevator in the Dubai tower in Dubai-Deira district, a popular commercial and residential tower where about 200 Chinese expatriates live.

The victim, a 21-year old Chinese from Hui'an, southeastern Fujian province, was robbed and slain when he was on the way to bring the money to a bank, said the general consulate.

The rapid arrest was the result of a joint effort by local police and China's general consulate, as well as the embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Based on footage of surveillance cameras placed in the Dubai tower, UAE police across the Gulf Arab assigned additional forces at borders and all international airports.

It remains unclear so far whether the suspect and the victim knew each other or not, while their names have yet to be disclosed.

Dubai has a total population of more than 2.1 million, over 80 percent of whom are foreign expatriates. Currently, there are 300, 000 Chinese nationals living in the emirate.