Abu Dhabi builds its first car: what the KEZAD automotive hub means
LVIn short
In September 2026, ROX began production of the ADAMAS in Abu Dhabi's KEZAD industrial zone, the first vehicle to carry the "Made in the Emirates" mark. The 10,000 square-metre plant targets 20,000 vehicles a year in 2027 and 300,000 by 2030, backed by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and the Ministry of Industry. It's another piece of the emirate's manufacturing diversification strategy, one that over time brings jobs, suppliers and new residents into the area.
Abu Dhabi has started production of the first car fully assembled in the UAE. The brand is ROX, the model is called ADAMAS, and the first unit rolled off the line carrying the "Made in the Emirates" mark, applied by an AI-guided robotic arm at an opening ceremony attended by Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
What happened
The plant sits in KEZAD Logistics Park, the industrial and economic zone south of Abu Dhabi, spans 10,000 square metres and houses what's described as an AI-driven manufacturing centre: sub-assembly of more than 80 component types, full vehicle assembly, calibration, rain and road testing, and final inspection. Initial capacity is 20,000 vehicles a year in 2027, with a stated ambition to reach 300,000 vehicles a year by 2030.
The project sits under the Abu Dhabi Investment Office's (ADIO) automotive programme, launched at the Make it in the Emirates forum in May 2025, and is backed by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT). KEZAD Group signed the facility's lease in May 2026. It's the first concrete output of a state-led automotive manufacturing strategy that has been building for around eighteen months.
Why it matters for anyone looking at Abu Dhabi
A plant aiming to multiply its output fifteenfold in three years doesn't grow in isolation: it brings suppliers, logistics activity, and above all workers who, at some point, rent or buy homes near where they work. It's the pattern that has followed every new industrial zone or free zone in the emirate in recent years: production investment first, structural housing demand in the surrounding area next, not a one-off spike tied to a single announcement.
- 10,000 sqm: the size of the ROX plant in KEZAD Logistics Park
- 20,000 vehicles a year: planned capacity for 2027
- 300,000 vehicles a year: the stated target for 2030
- 80+ component types sub-assembled on site
- ADIO and MoIAT: the bodies backing the emirate's automotive programme
Original source
Article based on UAE vehicle manufacturing push moves into production — ROX / The National, Gulf News · 24 Sept 2026. Reading, analysis and commentary are original.
Frequently asked
What is ROX and what does it produce in Abu Dhabi?
ROX is the car brand that began production of the ADAMAS in September 2026 at Abu Dhabi's KEZAD industrial zone, the first vehicle to carry the "Made in the Emirates" mark.
How many vehicles will the KEZAD plant produce?
Initial capacity is 20,000 vehicles a year in 2027, with a target of 300,000 vehicles a year by 2030.
Who is backing the project?
The Abu Dhabi Investment Office's (ADIO) automotive programme and the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), with KEZAD Group managing the industrial zone.
Why does a car manufacturing story matter for Abu Dhabi real estate?
A plant scaling this fast brings workers, suppliers and related activity into the area: over time that translates into structural housing demand, consistent with the emirate's broader economic diversification strategy.
Luca Vallelonga
Italian real estate consultant in Dubai since 2021 · Senior Real Estate Advisor, Gabetti Middle East · BRN 85642
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