Chinese cars in the United Arab Emirates: which brands sell there and since when

The United Arab Emirates is one of the densest Chinese-brand car markets outside China. The new-vehicle market reached 335,772 units in 2025, up 5.3% on 2024, and three of the six largest brands were Chinese: Jetour finished fourth after growing 82.1%, MG held a top-five place with 10.5% growth, and Geely climbed to sixth on 47.7% growth. The Jetour T2 was the third best-selling model of any brand in the country, ahead of the Toyota Land Cruiser.

Entry is distributor-led rather than direct. The franchises sit with the large Emirati trading groups: AW Rostamani launched Zeekr in the UAE in March 2024 with the 001 and X, and Gulf Star Motors, part of Ali & Sons Holding, launched Xpeng with the G6 and G9 at an event in Dubai on 19 October 2024. NIO is the exception in kind rather than degree — Abu Dhabi's CYVN Holdings is a large shareholder in NIO, and NIO opened the first NIO House for the Middle East and North Africa on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi on 29 November 2024, delivering the EL8 from that day and the EC6 and ET5 from the first quarter of 2025.

The rules are light and are not specific to China. Vehicles clear under the GCC Common Customs Law at the general 5% customs duty on the cost, insurance and freight value, and 5% VAT applies on top. Because the GCC is a customs union, a car cleared into one member state moves between members without a further duty. The UAE's national electric-vehicles policy sets a target of half the vehicles on UAE roads being electric by 2050 and a national charging network; it names no federal purchase subsidy, and the practical incentives — dedicated parking, charging schemes, plate and toll arrangements — are set by individual emirates.