The Chinese manufacturer hopes to make inroads into the UAE market

A new showroom is gearing up to advance the UAE's car market, as GAC Motor showed off its first outpost in Abu Dhabi.

The facility opened in partnership with Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management and is located in the shadows of Yas Marina Circuit, the home of motor racing in the UAE.

To mark the event, motoring enthusiasts and guests piled on to the island for a gala event, which was hosted by dignitaries from Gargash Group.

The showcase also marked the arrival of the GAC GS8, a new arrival aiming to break into the market dominated by Nissan Patrol and Toyota Land Cruiser. Other GAC models are due to arrive in the near future.

Shehab Gargash, managing director and group chief executive of Gargash Group, said: “We are proud to be one of the earliest international partners of GAC Motor.

“Since 2015, we have worked closely to provide a robust proposition to an ever-growing customer base in the UAE and deliver the utmost value to them.”

Worldwide, the manufacturer produces a series of sedans, SUVs and MPVs, as well as the Aion Y electric offering.

The new showroom on Yas Island is part of an initiative to join fellow Chinese-owned brands — notably MG, Haval, Geely and Great Wall — in making in-roads into the UAE market.

Zeng Hebin, general manager of GAC Motor International, said the Emirates is one of the most important strategic regions for the brand in the Middle East.

“With the cooperation of our partner Gargash Motors, we have achieved remarkable results in this market,” he said.

GAC’s sales continue to improve globally and last month the company reported an 84 per cent increase in the number of units sold from the previous year.