ROX Starts Building Cars in Abu Dhabi: What the First “Made in the Emirates” SUVs Mean

ROX has begun vehicle production at its new AI manufacturing centre in Abu Dhabi’s KEZAD industrial zone. The first three ADAMAS SUVs carry the “Made in the Emirates” mark, and the company plans to scale from 20,000 cars in 2027 to 300,000 a year by 2030.

Production has started

ROX announced on 3 September 2026 that it had completed its Advanced AI Manufacturing Centre in Abu Dhabi and started building vehicles locally. The first three ROX ADAMAS SUVs rolled off the line. Representatives of the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) attended the start of production. The project is part of the UAE’s Operation 300bn industrial strategy and the Make it in the Emirates programme.

About the factory

• Location: Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD), Musaffah
• Size: about 10,000 square metres
• Capacity: 20,000 vehicles in 2027, rising to 300,000 a year by 2030
• Work done on site: sub-assembly of more than 80 types of vehicle components, complete vehicle assembly, calibration, rain and road testing, and final inspection
• Partners: ADIO, with support from the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology. KEZAD Group signed the lease in May.

ROX moved its global headquarters to Abu Dhabi last year. It also has a regional spare-parts hub in Jebel Ali, Dubai.

The ADAMAS

The ADAMAS is a large luxury SUV with an extended-range electric powertrain. UAE motoring reports quote a dual-motor four-wheel-drive system with about 350 kW (around 469 hp), 740 Nm of torque and a 0-100 km/h time of about 5.5 seconds. ROX has not published UAE pricing for the locally built car in the sources I found.

What comes next

• Exports: ROX plans to supply local and export markets, with the Abu Dhabi plant forming part of its global supply chain. Two ADAMAS from the first batch are heading out for the second season of its ROX Grand Tour long-distance test expedition.
• First UAE-designed model: the ADAMAS Abu Dhabi Edition, due in March 2027. It was developed with the Design Commission Abu Dhabi and Al Khaznah Leathers and draws on Khoos, the Emirati craft of weaving palm fronds.

Why it matters

MEED calls the plant the most significant output so far from the UAE’s efforts to build an automotive manufacturing industry. Reaching 300,000 vehicles a year is a fifteen-fold jump from 2027, and that will show whether Abu Dhabi’s model can support volume manufacturing. A government official at ADIO described ROX’s progress as a clear example of industrial investment turning into local production and global growth.

What it means for UAE drivers

More local assembly could mean shorter supply chains and easier access to parts and service. That’s the logic of the Jebel Ali parts hub, though ROX hasn’t promised specific savings for buyers. Pricing for UAE-built cars, the ROX 01 and ADAMAS retail line-up, and warranty terms are best confirmed directly with ROX.

Sources: ROX statement via Emirates 24|7, 3 September 2026; The National; MEED; AGBI; Dubicars (ADAMAS performance figures).