Price Index

Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric 612,900 AEDBMW 7 Series 750e 489,000 AEDZeekr 9X 369,900 AEDToyota Land Cruiser VX 329,000 SARLynk & Co 900 255,000 AEDLexus NX 350h 219,500 SARMercedes-Benz GLA 250 195,000 AEDBYD Seal Design 149,900 AEDJetour T2 1.5T 112,000 SARPorsche Cayenne Turbo Electric 612,900 AEDBMW 7 Series 750e 489,000 AEDZeekr 9X 369,900 AEDToyota Land Cruiser VX 329,000 SARLynk & Co 900 255,000 AEDLexus NX 350h 219,500 SARMercedes-Benz GLA 250 195,000 AEDBYD Seal Design 149,900 AEDJetour T2 1.5T 112,000 SAR

Thursday 1 October 2026 — 19 Rabi al-Thani 1448العربية

Last updated 09:42 Gulf time
Dubai desk

Breaking08:30BYD sales rise 17% in September as exports more than double

Tag archive

Market research

Everything the Gulf Auto newsroom has published under “Market research” — reports, analysis and data tables, newest first.

47 stories

12:10

A Haval car showroom

Great Wall Motor falls 14% at home and bets on the Gulf

GWM recorded 114,944 vehicles in September, down 13.99% and its sharpest decline since January 2025, while its Haval marque keeps growing in Saudi Arabia.

1 October · 5 min read · 160K views

09:35

A Leapmotor C10

Leapmotor lifts deliveries 58.5% for a third month above 100,000 cars

Leapmotor delivered a record 105,656 vehicles in September, cementing its place among the fastest-growing Chinese marques this year.

1 October · 4 min read · 107K views

08:30

A BYD Seal electric car at a motor show

BYD sales rise 17% in September as exports more than double

BYD sold 463,561 vehicles worldwide in September and its overseas shipments rose 153.9%, confirming exports as the Chinese group’s main engine of growth.

1 October · 4 min read · 157K views

08:05

A Geely Galaxy car

September ranking: BYD leads while Zeekr and Leapmotor break their records

September 2026 data for sixteen Chinese manufacturers shows a market splitting into sharp risers and sharp fallers, with BYD on top at 463,561 vehicles.

1 October · 5 min read · 127K views

16:20

A NIO ET5 electric car

NIO returns to monthly growth and builds on its UAE base

NIO delivered 37,408 vehicles in September, up 7.65% and meeting its third-quarter guidance, while running its regional presence through an Abu Dhabi-based joint venture.

30 September · 5 min read · 92.6K views

14:05

A BMW Group production facility in Germany

BMW commits about €2 billion to building the 3 Series in Germany

The company is investing close to €2 billion across its German plants to prepare for the eighth generation and its new battery systems.

30 September · 5 min read · 105K views

08:45

A Toyota Land Cruiser of the J300 generation

Toyota plans a $1.34 billion Argentina investment to build an electrified car

The project is the largest single investment in the Argentine car industry, according to the economy minister as reported by Reuters.

30 September · 5 min read · 170K views

08:20

Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi

Gulf capital in Formula 1: a presence wider than the number of races

Aramco, Qatar Airways, Etihad and Mumtalakat — the region lost two of three rounds on the 2026 calendar, but its share of the sport’s economy did not shrink.

30 September · 5 min read · 163K views

15:50

A Chevrolet Bolt electric car

GM cuts planned Chevrolet Bolt production as US demand resets

About 35,000 units of the latest Bolt are now expected, far below earlier projections, after federal incentives came to an end.

29 September · 5 min read · 187K views

13:40

Yas Island in Abu Dhabi from the air

Race week in Abu Dhabi: what the season finale moves beyond the circuit

Hotels, aviation, entertainment and commercial launches — why the December week on Yas Island is the heaviest of the year in the regional motoring calendar.

25 September · 5 min read · 127K views

11:05

A Renault Mégane electric car

Renault to invest €600 million in Spain and add electric production

The investment through 2030 covers five new models and a battery assembly line at the Valladolid and Palencia plants.

24 September · 5 min read · 184K views

07:45

Desert terrain at AlUla in Saudi Arabia

Data & Rankings

The Gulf car market in 2030: a model with three scenarios

1.74 million units in the base case, with the distance between the high and low cases equal to the Kuwaiti and Qatari markets combined. This report sets out the Gulf Auto model to 2030 with its assumptions in full.

24 September · 11 min read · 167K views

15:40

King Abdullah Port at King Abdullah Economic City

Ceer sets March 2027 for delivery as the Exobot passes 1,100hp

The two Saudi models will be built at King Abdullah Economic City north of Jeddah, with power approaching that of Lucid’s fastest cars.

23 September · 4 min read · 97K views

10:00

The Riyadh skyline at night

Saudi Arabia’s Ceer unveils its first electric cars ahead of 2027 sales

The Saudi company has shown its first sedan and SUV, preparing to start sales in early 2027 and build a wider regional range.

21 September · 6 min read · 96.7K views

15:15

A Geely Galaxy car

Exports drive growth: SAIC and BYD each pass a million vehicles outside China

SAIC’s international sales reached 1.071 million and BYD’s exports 1.05 million, up 145% — two figures that explain what is happening in Gulf showrooms.

19 September · 5 min read · 190K views

15:30

An Apollo Go Apollo RT6 robotaxi on the road in Wuhan, China

Why Chinese companies lead the Gulf robotaxi race

Three Chinese companies operate or test in the UAE while their American rivals stay in their home markets — and the reason is as much regulatory as commercial.

12 September · 5 min read · 201K views

11:50

A Lynk & Co 900

Geely targets 640,000 exports in 2026, growth of more than 50%

The group has set an export target above half a million vehicles, accelerating Lynk & Co and Zeekr in the Middle East and Latin America.

12 September · 5 min read · 136K views

14:00

A Chery Tiggo 8 sports utility vehicle

The Middle East rises to third place in Chery’s export markets

Chery exported 21,123 vehicles to the Middle East in July, BYD 13,164 and Geely 7,148, making the region the standout growth point in Chinese car exports.

11 September · 5 min read · 99.3K views

07:50

Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, the E311, in the United Arab Emirates

Data & Rankings

The Gulf car market in 2026: 1.47 million units and $48.6bn

A market smaller than one large European country by volume, and a fifth above it in average unit price. This report measures the size, value and composition of the Gulf market, and unpacks what the word “Gulf” hides when used in the singular.

8 September · 11 min read · 150K views

10:15

A Jetour T2 sports utility vehicle

Jetour grows 22.6% in Saudi Arabia and makes Dubai its Gulf hub

The Chery marque sits ninth in the Saudi market with 11,500 vehicles, while building a base in Dubai to cover the rest of the Gulf.

5 September · 5 min read · 142K views

11:10

The Riyadh skyline at night

The Saudi showroom race: how Tesla’s arrival changed BYD’s plans

Tesla’s entry into the Saudi market pushed BYD to accelerate from three showrooms to ten, the clearest example yet of electric competition in the Kingdom.

21 August · 5 min read · 159K views

12:40

The Riyadh skyline at night

BYD lifts its Saudi network to ten showrooms

Two new openings in Riyadh and Qassim take BYD’s network in the Kingdom to ten showrooms, having started with just three.

19 August · 4 min read · 217K views

08:20

Visitors around a car at the Dubai International Motor Show in 2015

Data & Rankings

Who buys cars in the Gulf? The 2026 buyer profile

Average age 37, average spend 112,000 dirhams, a new car every four years, two-thirds bought on finance. This report draws the Gulf new-car buyer in numbers, and unpacks the variation the averages hide.

18 August · 11 min read · 79.8K views

07:40

An industrial and port area in Dubai

The Gulf automotive manufacturing map: where cars are actually built

Just six per cent of cars sold in the Gulf are assembled or built inside it. This report reads the region’s industrial map as it stands: what has actually been built, what has been announced and not built, and what separates assembly from manufacturing.

14 July · 12 min read · 121K views

12:30

A Lucid Air inside a Lucid Motors showroom in Riyadh

Lucid prepares its Saudi AMP-2 plant to build the sub-$50,000 Kosmos

The company’s first plant outside the United States is preparing for full production, targeting up to 150,000 vehicles a year by 2029.

8 July · 5 min read · 189K views

08:30

A street scene in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Data & Rankings

Saudi Arabia and the UAE: neighbouring markets that do not resemble each other

Larger volume in one, higher value in the other, an ownership cycle shorter by a year and a quarter, and double the electric share. A comparative anatomy of two markets routinely treated as one.

2 June · 10 min read · 184K views

09:25

A Chery Tiggo 8 sports utility vehicle

China’s spare capacity: why the Gulf buyer pays less

Chinese car plants run at half capacity, and exports have multiplied sevenfold in seven years. This report links the two numbers and measures how much of their effect has reached Gulf prices — and what happens if the equation reverses.

21 May · 11 min read · 146K views

10:15

The Abu Dhabi skyline from the Corniche

Li Auto enters the UAE and Saudi Arabia through Al Fahim and Naghi

The Chinese company has signed distribution agreements for its L Series range in the two Gulf markets, its first expansion outside China.

29 April · 4 min read · 112K views

08:45

A Changan Deepal S7 electric car

Data & Rankings

From 3% to 27%: the path of Chinese marques in the Gulf market

A share that quadrupled in seven years, and the fastest change in Gulf market composition since the Koreans arrived. This report measures the path, identifies who lost those points, and draws the one historical comparison that fits.

15 April · 11 min read · 160K views

09:05

A Jetour T2 sports utility vehicle

Data & Rankings

Thirty-eight points: how age divides the Gulf market for Chinese marques

Seventy-one per cent of under-35s place a Chinese marque among their serious options, against thirty-three per cent of over-50s. This report measures the widest age gap in the Gulf market and explains what it means.

10 March · 10 min read · 149K views

08:40

The road between Sharjah and Dubai

Data & Rankings

Twice the new market: anatomy of used cars in the Gulf

2.9 million transactions a year, a used-to-new ratio below the global average, and a re-export trade reaching Africa and Central Asia. This report reads the market whose figures are never published.

16 December · 10 min read · 130K views

08:05

King Abdullah Port at King Abdullah Economic City

Saudi localisation: from 2,000 cars to 340,000 — reading the path

Saudi Arabia has announced a localisation programme targeting 340,000 vehicles a year by 2030. This report breaks the path into its stages and measures the gap between the announced schedule and what the history of greenfield projects says.

5 November · 11 min read · 184K views

09:50

Data & Rankings

A quarter of buyers: women in the Gulf car market

From under three per cent in Saudi Arabia before 2018 to twenty-one today. This report measures the fastest change in Gulf buyer composition in two decades and explains its effect on segments, equipment and showrooms.

23 September · 10 min read · 165K views

10:05

A Nissan GT-R on display at the 2007 Dubai Motor Show

Data & Rankings

What does the Gulf buyer actually want? Ranking the purchase criteria

In five years the weight of cabin technology jumped 24 points and performance fell 11. This report measures what settles the purchase decision in the Gulf today, and what removes a car from the list for good.

15 July · 10 min read · 123K views

09:20

A BMW 7 Series luxury saloon

Data & Rankings

The Germans in the Gulf: 8% of the cars and 19% of the money

Five German marques sell under a tenth of Gulf units and take a fifth of its value. This report unpacks the economics of the premium segment in the region and measures where Chinese competition begins to threaten it.

28 May · 10 min read · 121K views

09:40

Data & Rankings

Ninety-seven days: the Gulf car-buying journey from the start

Between the moment a buyer first thinks about a new car and the moment they take delivery lie 97 days on average, 41 of them spent on a screen before seeing a single showroom. This report tracks the journey stage by stage and measures where it is settled.

9 April · 11 min read · 171K views

08:25

A Nissan GT-R on display at the 2007 Dubai Motor Show

Markets & Prices

Average new-car prices in the Gulf: a climb, then a turn

The average rose 28% between 2020 and 2024 and has been falling since. This report unpacks both the climb and the turn, and shows why neither means what it appears to mean.

11 March · 9 min read · 212K views

08:50

An industrial and port area in Dubai

One part, six weeks: anatomy of the Gulf parts supply chain

The Gulf parts and aftersales market is close to $9.4bn a year and growing faster than new-car sales. This report traces a part from the manufacturer’s warehouse to the service bay, and explains why a regional warehouse separates a marque that stays from one that leaves.

26 February · 10 min read · 142K views

08:35

Umm Hurair Road near the Oud Metha district of Dubai

Data & Rankings

Why does the Gulf buyer change cars every four years?

The ownership cycle is 3.6 years in the UAE, 5.6 in Oman and 7.2 in Western Europe. This report unpacks the reasons for the gap, measures what it actually costs, and identifies when fast replacement is sound rather than wasteful.

26 November · 10 min read · 207K views

10:30

An electric vehicle charging station

Who makes your battery? The cell map behind the electric market

Three companies make more than two-thirds of the world’s vehicle battery cells, and two of them are Chinese. This report traces the cell from mine to pack and explains why the origin of the battery now matters more than the badge on the car.

11 September · 11 min read · 223K views

09:10

A Jetour T2 sports utility vehicle

Data & Rankings

The hidden market: fleets and rental in the Gulf

A sixth of the Gulf market by volume, and an effect on marques far larger than that share. This report reads the fleet market: who buys, by what criteria, and why a fleet deal is double-edged for a new marque.

20 August · 10 min read · 171K views

07:55

A BMW Group production facility in Germany

Where does every dirham in your car’s price go?

Of every 120,000 dirhams you pay for a new car, only nine thousand reach the dealer. This report breaks the retail price into its seven lines and explains why Chinese competition works on one of them and not the others.

4 June · 10 min read · 220K views

08:15

A street scene in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Data & Rankings

How Gulf buyers pay: finance, instalments and the down payment

Sixty-three per cent of transactions run through finance, and the monthly payment has been roughly flat since 2019 despite rising prices. This report explains how the market absorbed higher prices by lengthening contracts, and what that means for buyers.

14 May · 10 min read · 255K views

09:15

A BMW Group production facility in Germany

Inside the plant: how a car is built in 18 labour hours

Four shops, nine hundred robots, ten coats of paint and fewer than nineteen hours of human work. A detailed anatomy of what happens between a coil of steel and the car standing in the showroom — and why that sequence explains price differences between one country of origin and another.

19 March · 11 min read · 234K views

09:30

Visitors around a car at the Dubai International Motor Show in 2015

Data & Rankings

Which month sells most? Seasonality in the Gulf car market

November sells nearly double July, and the final quarter alone is a third of the year. This report measures Gulf buying seasonality month by month, and explains why a dealer planning to a monthly average loses twice.

23 January · 9 min read · 255K views

09:00

A GO filling station on Highway 40 in the Narjis district of Riyadh at dusk

What does your car actually cost? Anatomy of ownership in the Gulf

The largest line on your car’s bill never appears on a statement, and it is close to half the cost. This report breaks down annual ownership cost in the Gulf and compares powertrains in numbers.

5 December · 10 min read · 243K views

10:40

A Nissan GT-R on display at the 2007 Dubai Motor Show

Data & Rankings

From four visits to one: how digital research changed the purchase

In 2015 a Gulf buyer visited showrooms four and a half times before buying. Today they visit 1.7 times. This report measures the shift and explains why fewer visits does not mean the showroom matters less.

17 October · 10 min read · 238K views