A 16-year-old stowaway was caught hiding in the cargo hold of an Emirates passenger jet that had flown from Shanghai to Dubai, said a report.

The Chinese teenager, who is in the custody of the Dubai police, said he was hoping to make money in the UAE emirate following a rumour he heard that said even beggars could make good money in Dubai, BBC said in a report.

Speaking through a translator, the teen said was ok and had a 'very comfortable' journey in the cargo hold. However, he had not eaten anything during the almost nine hour flight.

Upon further questioning, the authorities learned that the boy had jumped over a fence at the Shanghai airport and sneaked into the cargo hold when the security guard looked away, the report said.

"We are co-operating fully with authorities in Dubai and as this is a police matter we are unable to comment further at this time,"Emirates said in a statement to BBC.