Recently, the Tank 500 series vehicles produced by China's Great Wall Motors have been gradually launched in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and other Middle Eastern countries, attracting many consumers to visit showrooms and make inquiries and orders. "I currently own a Haval H9, and I've been driving it for two years. Whether it's commuting or outdoor adventures, the driving performance and comfort are excellent. This time, I'm planning to buy a Tank 500. Chinese brand automobiles are trustworthy," said Fayez Saeed from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
According to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, China's automobile exports in 2022 increased by 54.4% year-on-year, reaching 3.111 million units, making China the world's second-largest automobile exporter. Currently, an increasing number of Chinese automobiles are entering the Middle Eastern market and becoming the preferred choice of consumers in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and other countries. Analyzing the data, it shows that Saudi Arabia's new car sales exceeded 630,000 units in 2022, a 12.1% year-on-year increase. Among them, Chinese brand automobile sales surpassed 100,000 units, a 22.2% year-on-year increase. Moreover, Chinese brand automobiles hold a market share of over 10% in several Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman.
"Great Wall Motors has been deeply rooted in the Middle Eastern market for 25 years, and it was in the Middle East that we achieved our first million exports and overseas sales," said Shi Qingke, Vice President of Great Wall Motors. To adapt to the road conditions and application scenarios in the Middle East, Great Wall Motors has made adaptive improvements. In January of this year, the Great Wall Motors Middle East Parts Center was launched in the United Arab Emirates, aiming to provide better services to consumers. Majid Suhani, a Great Wall Motors dealer in Saudi Arabia, stated, "Chinese automobiles have good quality and competitive prices, which is why they are increasingly favored by local consumers."
During the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, over 800 pure electric buses produced by China's Yutong became the main transportation for servicing the event and were subsequently incorporated into the local public transportation system. At the end of last year, Geely's new energy brand, Yuan Cheng, signed an order for 1,000 new energy commercial vehicles with a company in the United Arab Emirates, contributing to the green transformation of the local logistics and transportation industry. Hongqi's new energy vehicles became the first new energy vehicle brand to join the Dubai police fleet. New energy vehicles have become a new calling card for Chinese brand automobiles in the Middle East.
Ma Zhengyuan, an advisor to the Saudi Public Transport Company, stated that Saudi Arabia's "Vision 2030" aims to achieve a 30% share of electric vehicles in the capital Riyadh by 2030. China's rapid development and strong competitiveness in the field of new energy vehicles, especially in technologies such as batteries, electric motors, and electronic controls for electric buses, are at the forefront globally. Saudi Arabia has already started purchasing electric buses from China's Yutong and testing electric buses from Golden Dragon, with further promotion planned for the future. "There is enormous potential for cooperation between Saudi Arabia and China in the field of electric buses."
Abdulrahman Lam, a Saudi automotive industry analyst, noted that in recent years, China's automobile industry has experienced vigorous development, a constant expansion of its product range, and continuous technological advancements. Leveraging its domestic advantages, China's automobile exports have made significant progress. Lam stated, "Chinese automobiles have tremendous growth potential in the Middle East."
