Key Points
- ROX Motor has started assembling electric SUVs at Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi, producing three Adamas models.
- The Chinese carmaker is working with the state-owned Abu Dhabi Investment Office and targets 20,000 vehicles next year.
- The project gives the UAE a foothold in EV manufacturing as Chinese automakers expand production outside China.
The latest:
Electric vehicle assembly has begun in Abu Dhabi, with China’s ROX Motor Co. turning out three ROX Adamas models at Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi, known as Kezad. The company, which is working with the state-owned Abu Dhabi Investment Office, plans to unveil its first UAE-designed car in March 2027, according to Arabian Gulf Business Insight.
Details:
- The plant: Assembly is running at Kezad, the industrial and logistics zone cluster in Abu Dhabi, where three ROX Adamas models are already being produced, according to Arabian Gulf Business Insight. ROX introduced its first car models in the UAE this week.
- The partner: ROX is working with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, the emirate’s state-owned investment promotion agency. The financial terms of the arrangement and each side’s stake in the operation were not disclosed.
- The numbers: ROX said it plans to produce 20,000 vehicles in Abu Dhabi next year, and to expand capacity to 300,000 vehicles annually by 2030. That would make the site a large-scale plant rather than a pilot assembly line, a 15-fold increase over the initial target.
- The markets: The Abu Dhabi output is intended for both domestic sales and export, according to the company. ROX did not name the export destinations it is targeting or the share of production allocated to each market.
- The design plan: The company plans to unveil its first UAE-designed car in March 2027, a step beyond assembly toward local product development. ROX has not detailed where that design work will be carried out or which segment the vehicle will target.
- Beyond the UAE: ROX is also preparing to manufacture its vehicles in Egypt, giving the Chinese carmaker a second production base in the region. No timeline, site or capacity figure for the Egyptian operation has been announced.
- The product: The Adamas is ROX Motor’s flagship line, and the three variants now being assembled in Abu Dhabi are the company’s entry point into the UAE market. Pricing for the locally assembled models was not announced.
- The pattern: The move fits a broader push by Chinese automakers to assemble vehicles in overseas markets rather than ship them fully built, a strategy that shortens delivery times and localizes part of the supply chain.
Background:
ROX Motor is a Chinese electric vehicle maker whose Adamas line is its main model family. Abu Dhabi has been courting industrial investment through Kezad, its economic zones platform, and through the Abu Dhabi Investment Office’s incentive programs.
Between the lines:
The gap between 20,000 vehicles next year and 300,000 by 2030 signals ambitions well beyond serving UAE buyers, consistent with ROX saying the plant will supply export markets. The parallel preparation for manufacturing in Egypt points to a two-site regional strategy rather than a single-country bet.
What’s next
Watch for the March 2027 unveiling of the first UAE-designed ROX model, confirmation of the 20,000-vehicle target for next year, and any announcement of a site or timeline for the planned Egyptian plant.
