Chinese cars are growing in popularity in the Gulf at a faster rate than European or US rivals and could account for a quarter of new auto sales within five years, according to market research and analysts.
Sales are no longer limited to budget family cars and electric vehicles – market segments where Chinese automakers have long performed well.
In July, the third-most popular brand for new car sales in the Gulf was Jetour, an SUV marque owned by Chinese group Chery, according to analyst Jato Dynamics.
Sales of Jetours were up 135 percent year on year, making it the first Chinese brand to reach the Gulf’s top three.
“The fact that Chinese brands now occupy visible showroom space and command double-digit share shows just how firmly they’ve arrived in the Gulf mainstream,” said Sebastian Fuchs, managing director of AutoData Middle East.
“The Middle East is now among the top global export destinations for Chinese automakers.”
Chinese brands accounted for 10-15 percent of new car sales in the UAE in the first half of 2025 and 12 percent in Saudi Arabia, according to AutoData figures shared with AGBI.
For used cars, this percentage could be even higher. This compares to 5 percent in Europe, as reported by Jato Dynamics. No Chinese brands are selling cars in the US, according to the not-for-profit organisation Consumer Reports.
A report published by consultancy AlixPartners in April suggests China will account for almost a third of all cars built worldwide by 2030, with a disproportionate number of them destined for the Gulf.
The growing popularity of Chinese cars in the UAE in particular shows how they have found a market beyond consumers concerned primarily with affordability, according to Fuchs.
“The UAE market tends to emphasise value and image [over affordability],” he said, “though Chinese brands are quickly gaining mainstream acceptance there.”
The Jetour T2 was the fourth-highest selling car in the UAE in the first half of the year. The 4×4 starts at about AED144,000 ($39,000), roughly AED100,000 less than the Nissan Patrol and Toyota Land Cruiser, which have similar specs.
While buyers may have overlooked high-end Chinese cars in the past, based on lack of familiarity or concerns over reliability, “there’s no reason for a consumer to walk away from that car any more”, Fuchs said.
By the end of the century, Fuchs predicts that a quarter of all new cars sold in the Gulf could be Chinese brands.
“Both markets are showing steady quarter-on-quarter growth, pointing to sustained consumer acceptance rather than a temporary surge.”
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