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ROX builds global expansion strategy around Abu Dhabi
Luxury SUV maker plans UAE production, local supply chain partnerships and faster regional after-sales to support its annual scale of 300,000 units by 2030
- PUBLISHED: Fri 8 May 2026, 9:49 AM
Abu Dhabi is becoming more than just a regional market for global automotive brands. Increasingly, it is positioning itself as a long-term manufacturing and innovation base and luxury SUV maker ROX wants to be part of that transformation.
The company, which established its global headquarters in Abu Dhabi last November, is now preparing to begin production in the UAE while expanding local partnerships across advanced manufacturing, lightweight materials, logistics and after-sales operations. The move aligns closely with the UAE’s wider industrial ambitions under Operation 300Bn, which aims to expand the country’s manufacturing contribution to the economy and strengthen its position as a global export and innovation hub.
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Beyond its location advantage, Abu Dhabi represents a broader growth opportunity for ROX, particularly across manufacturing, innovation and regional expansion.
"Abu Dhabi and ROX are very strongly aligned,” said Brian Bian, chief marketing and product officer at ROX. “Abu Dhabi is very strong in capital foundation. We know the Operation 300Bn strategy. We see that Abu Dhabi is looking forward to the future for AI, advanced manufacturing and new energy."
The company also views the UAE as one of its strongest customer markets, with more than 5,000 vehicles already sold in the UAE and over 20,000 across the wider Mena region.
Building a manufacturing ecosystem
ROX’s ambitions extend well beyond vehicle sales. The company is positioning Abu Dhabi as a long-term manufacturing and operational centre that can support regional and international expansion.
Its strategy includes localising elements of the supply chain, bringing Chinese R&D and design talent into the UAE, and building partnerships that support production scalability over the coming years.
Bian said the company’s long-term production target is to reach 300,000 vehicles annually by 2030, with the UAE manufacturing push marking the first step in that journey. “This year is the first step. When this manufacturing centre combines with our headquarters, we will bring Chinese talent like R&D, design and supply chain. We will do all this step by step,” he said.
The company believes Abu Dhabi’s location between Asia, Africa and Europe gives it a strategic advantage as a future export base, particularly as the UAE continues investing in industrial infrastructure, logistics connectivity and advanced manufacturing capabilities.
ROX is also working with UAE-based partners to strengthen localisation efforts. One of its key collaborations is with Borouge on advanced lightweight materials, with 17 components in the company’s ADAMAS model already using Borouge materials.
According to the company, the partnership progressed from laboratory development to actual vehicle component integration in less than six months, highlighting the speed at which industrial collaborations can move within the UAE ecosystem.
The company is also working with ADVETI to support local talent development in AI manufacturing and advanced new energy technologies. Bian said the goal is to create long-term job opportunities as ROX expands its UAE operations.
Turning UAE luxury and culture into automotive design
For ROX, establishing a headquarters in Abu Dhabi was also about understanding the region’s cultural and luxury landscape and translating that into product design. Bian said the company’s design and product teams spent time in the UAE studying local aesthetics, architecture, fashion and consumer preferences to shape elements of the vehicle experience. "The UAE is leading the chain of luxury,” he said. “I brought the whole design team and the product team here to understand the culture and heritage."
That influence, he explained, appears directly in the vehicle’s visual identity and material choices. “You can see that from the outside colour. The gold expression comes from the desert. The white reflects the elegance of Abu Dhabi,” Bian said. “Even the car inspiration comes from Emirati traditional clothing."
The approach reflects a broader shift among global automotive brands increasingly tailoring luxury experiences around regional identity rather than relying solely on globalised design language.
Faster spare parts delivery becomes a regional advantage
Alongside manufacturing and design localisation, ROX is also investing heavily in after-sales service — an area the company believes remains one of the biggest concerns among EV buyers across the GCC.
The company recently launched a spare parts centre in Jebel Ali, aimed at significantly reducing waiting times for repairs and servicing across the UAE and wider region. “When I first came here two or three years ago, EV cars were excellent, but the biggest concern for GCC customers was spare parts,” Bian said. “They don’t want to wait two or three months to change parts.”
ROX says the new logistics setup, developed in partnership with JINGDONG Logistics, is designed to dramatically shorten delivery timelines. “Our UAE customers can get small parts in less than one day,” Bian said. "You order today and receive the parts the next day. For other GCC countries and even North Africa, parts can arrive in less than one week."
As a passionate storyteller and content writer, Kushmita Bose loves weaving narratives that inform, inspire, and entertain. Whether she's unraveling tech revolutions, dissecting industry reports, or bringing a brand’s journey to life, Kushmita thrives on transforming ideas into captivating stories. When she’s not busy crafting content, you’ll probably find her daydreaming about her next travel adventure.