When Chery entered the UAE a few years back and partnered with AW Rostamani Group in October 2023, it did so as one new name among a market still dominated by decades-old Japanese, American and European incumbents. Three years on, the picture looks very different.
Chinese brands now represent around 31% of new vehicle sales in the UAE, up from roughly 12% just two years earlier, and Chery has expanded to six showrooms across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
The headline growth numbers only convey a part of the story. “The next phase isn’t primarily about opening more doors,” he says. “It’s about deepening what sits behind them.” That means continued investment in talent through AWR Automotive Academy, which delivered more than 3,300 training man-days last year alone, and in the Jebel Ali spare parts facility, the largest Chery parts hub in the region, now stocking over 20,000 individual components.
Sabbagh measures success less by units sold than by what happens after the sale. “The metrics that matter more to us are repeat customers, referral-driven purchases, and how our Emirati customer base has grown to become our second-largest segment nationally, reflecting the strong trust and confidence they place in the Chery brand,” he explains.
It is a point he returns to often: that in a market crowded with new entrants, trust is built cumulatively, one service visit and one word-of-mouth referral at a time, not through a single transaction.
Investing Long Term
With more than seventeen Chinese automotive brands now competing for UAE buyers, Sabbagh believes the strongest differentiator is depth of investment, not price. “Chery was founded in 1997 and has invested over two decades, supported by a global R&D network of more than 30,000 specialists, into genuine engineering depth,” he notes. “That is not a brand built to win a single pricing cycle.”
Chery’s approach is grounded in public demonstration: a structural “Smash Room” durability test on the TIGGO 9, and a drive across all seven emirates in the TIGGO 7 and TIGGO 9 Hybrid, including the Jebel Jais mountain climb, to validate its 1,200km combined range claim under real conditions. Sabbagh also highlighted the importance of a trusted distributor.
“AW Rostamani brings over 70 years of experience in the UAE market, and that legacy is reflected in the standards we uphold and the service we deliver to our customers. That commitment, backed by a comprehensive aftersales infrastructure, is what builds long-term customer confidence and trust.”
The Lifetime Value Question
Ask Sabbagh where the real commercial opportunity sits in a car business, and his answer points beyond the initial sale.
Chery UAE built its service centres, home pick-up and drop-off servicing, 24/7 roadside assistance and Certified Pre-Owned programme in parallel with its retail expansion, not as an afterthought. “The initial sale is only the beginning of the customer journey,” he explains. “Long-term value is created through the ownership experience.”
For Sabbagh, sustainable growth means consistently exceeding customer expectations at every stage of ownership, not just at the point of sale. “Customers today are looking for flexibility, convenience and confidence throughout their journey, whether through traditional ownership, leasing or alternative mobility solutions,” he says.
That broader view of value, he adds, is what will define success in this market over the next decade: not the size of the initial sale, but the strength of the relationship that follows it.
Hybrid as a Practical Choice
On hybrid technology, Sabbagh is emphatic that UAE demand reflects a genuine shift in how customers think about mobility. “It’s specific to this region’s driving reality more than any global trend,” he explains, pointing to the long intercity distances and heat that make range and reliability genuine priorities for UAE drivers.
Chery’s Plug-in Hybrid range, validated across 30 countries, including desert-heat conditions, delivers a combined output of up to 610 horsepower alongside a combined range of up to 1,200km on a single tank and full charge, a combination Sabbagh believes sets Chery apart in the region. “That combination of performance, efficiency and range is what puts us at the forefront of hybrid mobility innovation,” he adds.
Increasingly, customers see plug-in Hybrid technology as a preferred mobility solution in its own right, he continues. “They view hybrid as a standalone long-term choice, not simply a stepping stone toward full electric,” he explains. Customers are placing greater emphasis on long-term value, with total-cost-of-ownership considerations – fuel savings offsetting a higher upfront price over time – increasingly shaping the decision alongside performance.
A Global Track Record
“Chinese automotive manufacturers have established themselves as a significant force in the global industry through sustained investment in technology, innovation, quality and product development,” Sabbagh notes, pointing to Chery’s own record as evidence: the world’s top Chinese passenger car exporter for 22 consecutive years, active in more than 80 countries.
For Chery specifically, that scale is matched by a focus on the fundamentals that build lasting value: two decades of engineering investment, a growing service and parts infrastructure, and a distributor with deep roots in the UAE market.
“That is what gives us confidence in where Chery is headed here over the next decade,” he says.
The Executive Case
Chery’s ambitions in the UAE are not confined to budget-conscious, first-time buyers, Sabbagh is keen to stress.
Higher trims such as the TIGGO 9 Plug-in Hybrid, which delivers a combined output of up to 610 horsepower, combined torque of 920Nm and a 0–100km/h time of 5.4 seconds, alongside a genuine seven-seat, three-row layout, are engineered to compete on performance and space as much as value. “That is performance and space that executives, not just first-time buyers, expect,” he adds.
Institutional trust reinforces the case with AW Rostamani’s seven-decade standing in the market. For today’s informed buyers, confidence stems from a combination of elements, including product quality, engineering substance built over two decades, advanced technology and institutional credibility.
Sabbagh believes that combination is what sets Chery apart. “We’re building a brand that customers and partners can rely on for the long term,” he says, outlining a long-term vision built on substance and positioning Chery for sustained growth as the UAE’s automotive landscape continues to evolve.
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