ROX launches ADAMAS car production in UAE

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ROX launches ADAMAS car production in UAE

September 4, 2026

ABU DHABI,— ROX opened its Advanced AI Manufacturing Centre in Abu Dhabi on Thursday and launched local vehicle production, with the first three ROX ADAMAS cars bearing the “Made in the Emirates” label coming off the assembly line, the state-run news agency reported.

The plant is the latest step in a partnership between ROX and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, known as ADIO.

The deal backs ROX’s goal of moving more of its supply chain, technology and design work into the emirate as part of a wider automotive manufacturing network.

The project falls under the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology’s “Make it in the Emirates” program and ties into the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology, called “Operation 300Bn.”

That strategy aims to make the UAE a top global hub for future industries.

Hasan Jasem Al Nowais, undersecretary at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, said the UAE has built a competitive industrial base rooted in innovation and technology, boosting its appeal for major investments and forward-looking industries.

He said the ministry and its partners are working to create a flexible industrial climate that helps global firms set up local operations, share knowledge and technology, and build supply chains.

He added that this raises the value produced inside the country, makes UAE-made goods more competitive, and opens skilled jobs for Emirati workers.

Al Nowais said the start of ADAMAS production in Abu Dhabi fits the goals of Operation 300Bn and Make it in the Emirates, showing the UAE can draw in and localize advanced industries such as production, assembly, design, research and artificial intelligence work.

The plant is set to build 20,000 vehicles in 2027, with output expected to climb to 300,000 vehicles a year by 2030. Production will serve buyers at home and support sales abroad.

Mohammad Ali Al Kamali, chief trade and industry officer at ADIO, said ROX’s growth in Abu Dhabi shows how industrial investment can turn into local production and stronger global reach.

He said placing more manufacturing and value chain work in the emirate helps build an auto industry geared toward local production, stronger supply chains and exports.

He added that Abu Dhabi offers manufacturers the infrastructure, connections and partners needed to grow and compete worldwide from one location.

The 10,000-square-meter plant sits inside Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi, known as KEZAD Group.

It can assemble more than 80 types of vehicle parts locally and handle full vehicle assembly, calibration, rain and road testing, and final checks before delivery.

The site also expands ROX’s local manufacturing skills and links to Abu Dhabi’s auto sector, covering engineering, materials, technology, workforce and supply chains.

ROX founder and chief executive Jarvis called the new plant a major milestone for the company and a launch point for growing from Abu Dhabi into markets worldwide.

He said ROX aims to make the UAE central to its global growth and build a company the country can take pride in.

The plant follows earlier plans by ROX to localize operations in Abu Dhabi, first announced alongside the company’s global headquarters in the emirate last year.

ROX also opened an AI lab and design studio in Abu Dhabi. The lab will support development of the ROX Agent AI platform, while the studio will bring together designers from the UAE, China and other countries.

ROX plans to reveal its first UAE-designed vehicle in Abu Dhabi in March 2027, called the Abu Dhabi Edition.

It is being developed through ROX’s global design network with design touches drawn from Emirati culture, made with the Design Commission Abu Dhabi and Al Khaznah Leathers, and inspired by Khoos, a traditional Emirati palm-frond weaving craft.

ROX also announced a second season of its Grand Tour, sending two Abu Dhabi-built ADAMAS vehicles across Africa through Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania before ending in Casablanca, Morocco.

The label ‘Made in the Emirates’ appears on both cars.

(With files from WAM)