The Emirate of Dubai is establishing itself as a major regional player in electromobility in the Middle East. Backed by a proactive political strategy and rapid infrastructure deployment, Dubai is attempting to chart its course toward carbon neutrality by 2050. However, this transition faces challenges posed by the desert climate and a market still dominated by combustion engine vehicles.
A clear political ambition
Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates’ overall strategy, the “Clean Energy Strategy 2050,” which aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To this end, government authorities, primarily the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), launched the “Green Mobility Strategy 2030” in 2015 with the “EV Green Charger” program.
The stated objective is clear: to adopt cleaner mobility in private and public transportation. The RTA aims to completely eliminate emissions from its transport network by 2050, including the gradual conversion of buses, taxis, and public fleets to electric or hydrogen power. This strong political commitment places the city nicknamed the “Tiger of the Gulf” among the most influential territories in the Gulf in terms of electromobility.
A rapidly growing fleet
In Dubai, the number of electric vehicles continues to rise. At the end of 2022, Dubai had 15,100 electric vehicles. By the end of 2023, this number had climbed to 25,929 vehicles, representing a 72% increase in one year. By the end of the first half of 2025, Dubai is expected to have more than 40,600 EVs out of a total fleet of ~2.5 million vehicles. These figures are certainly on the rise, but they seem low when you consider that
484,223 vehicles (all types combined) were registered in Dubai in 2024, according to figures from the UAE Ministry of Interior.
This rapid growth reflects a market that is clearly moving towards electric vehicles, driven by public policy, infrastructure, and growing user interest. The United Arab Emirates as a whole is not limited to 100% electric vehicles: more than 147,000 electric vehicles were registered in 2023, a figure that is also on the rise.
A study by PwC Middle East indicates that electric vehicles will account for 15% of new sales in the Emirates by 2030, and 25% by 2035. For Dubai, the goal is to reach 42,000 electric cars by 2030. This is certainly an ambitious goal, but the market is showing strong annual growth of +30% between 2022 and 2028.
Tesla dominates, the Chinese are coming
As everywhere else in the world, the giant EV manufacturers are battling it out to sell the most cars. Tesla still reigns supreme in this game, with 43% of the electric vehicle market share in the Emirates at the beginning of 2025. The Model Y retains its top spot in Dubai.
But as everywhere else, Chinese competition is gaining momentum. BYD, Geely, Chery, MG, Jetour, Nio, and Haval have established themselves in the Gulf country with the same ambition: to offer motorists affordable models. And it’s working: internet searches for Chinese electric vehicles have increased by 64%. For example, global leader BYD offers the Atto 3, a compact SUV starting at 149,900 dirhams (around €37,000), and the Seal. These models are adapted to the desert climate with better thermal management, the menus are adapted and delivered in Arabic, and, as always, they offer competitive range.
A rapidly expanding charging network
Of course, zero emissions and an increase in low-carbon vehicles mean charging infrastructure. With this in mind, the EV Green Charger program (Dubai’s first public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles) was launched in 2015. While it had only 14 users and a few charging stations when it started, by the end of 2025 there were 1,270 EV Green Charger stations available in Dubai. The goal for 2030 is 10,000 public charging stations.
DEWA, the organization that manages and deploys the EV Green Charger program in Dubai, offers attractive rates to encourage the population to switch to electric vehicles. The government organization offers a charging rate of 29 fils per kilowatt-hour (€0.075), as well as free charging to encourage adoption.
The American giant TESLA is also present with its Supercharger network, which has more than 20 stations in the Emirates.
The conversion of public transport
While private individuals are gradually adopting electric vehicles, the RTA is preparing to convert its public fleets, a major technical challenge in the desert. That is why, in June 2025, the RTA signed a 1.1 billion dirham ($270 million) agreement to purchase 637 new buses, including 40 fully electric buses, the largest order ever placed in the Emirates.
These Chinese buses, manufactured by Zhongtong, are designed for Gulf conditions and will be delivered between late 2025 and early 2026. They are responsibly produced, as they comply with European “Euro 6” standards. This huge purchase is not a leap into the unknown, as in April 2025, the same organization (RTA) launched a test of a Volvo bus. With a 470 kWh battery offering a range of 370 kilometers, it convinced local authorities that electric mobility is suitable for all types of transportation.
A major technical challenge: climate
Gulf countries experience high temperatures in summer, with readings sometimes exceeding 95°F. As we know, these harsh conditions put lithium-ion batteries to the test. Thermal management is crucial to prevent premature degradation or reduced range, which could discourage drivers. Tests show that some vehicles lose 10% of their range in extreme heat. Even though concrete solutions are slow to emerge, manufacturers are committed to enabling drivers around the world to switch to cleaner four-wheeled transportation. This is the case, for example, with BYD, whose Blade battery limits this loss to 5%.
In the coming years, solid-state batteries are expected to become more widespread. They are resistant to high temperatures and more chemically stable, but their production is limited and they are likely to be used in high-end EVs over the next five years.
For electric buses, continuous air conditioning consumes a lot of energy, so the RTA tests each model and favors the most resistant vehicles.
Attractive incentives
With the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, the Dubai government has introduced several incentives:
- Free parking: Electric vehicle owners benefit from free parking spaces in many public areas.
- Fee exemptions: Reduced registration fees and exemption from tolls on certain roads.
- Subsidized charging: controlled charging rates and periods of free charging.
- Priority lanes: access to reserved lanes to facilitate traffic flow.
These measures, combined with a relatively clean electricity mix, largely supplied by imports from neighboring countries and a growing share of local renewable energy, enable electric vehicles to have a carbon footprint well below the regional average.
A burgeoning local industry
On the local industry side, M Glory Holding Group launched what is billed as the first electric vehicle production plant in the Emirates in 2022, located in Dubai Industrial City. The plant has an ambitious capacity of up to 55,000 electric vehicles per year. These are encouraging figures for Dubai, although in reality, the situation is less clear-cut, as since 2023, no public data on production, sales, etc. has been released by the company.
In terms of charging infrastructure, local companies are developing. UAEV, an EV infrastructure company, obtained its license as an independent charging station operator in Dubai in October 2024, giving it the right to operate public charging stations autonomously. Since then, the company has been fully active and is collaborating with several companies and local authorities.
Major distributors such as Al-Futtaim play a key role in distributing brands such as BYD, Tesla, and other international manufacturers, contributing to the democratization of electric vehicles in the emirate.
But while a few local players are developing to support this transition, the market remains largely dominated by international distributors and importers. The role of local companies remains limited, focusing more on assembly and infrastructure development than on the mass production of electric models.
The challenges ahead
Despite rapid progress in the electrified mobility ecosystem, several obstacles remain: The still small share of electric vehicles: despite strong growth, electric vehicles still represent a minority share of the total vehicle fleet in the emirate. The road to maturity for electromobility remains long.
Purchase cost: even with incentives, electric vehicles remain more expensive than their combustion engine equivalents, limiting access to these vehicles, even the most affordable ones.
Accelerated battery wear: the hot climate accelerates battery degradation, reducing their lifespan and increasing maintenance costs.
Dependence on robust infrastructure: the continued expansion of the charging network remains essential to remove barriers to adoption, particularly for long journeys and interurban travel.
A region taking flight
Dubai is no longer in the experimental stage. The city is positioning itself as a spearhead for carbon-free mobility in the Gulf thanks to a proactive strategy, rapid infrastructure deployment, and growing adoption, although still too modest.
However, the city is working on this transition: incentives, conversion of public fleets, and planning towards 2050 are essential levers for democratizing this means of transportation.
However, the city is working on this transition: incentives, the conversion of public fleets, and planning for 2050 are essential levers for democratizing this means of transportation.
Dubai is a fertile ground for electromobility: strong growth potential, political support, and a need for innovation to adapt electromobility to the local context. Despite the natural difficulties linked to climatic conditions in particular, the path forward has been laid out.
