Trusted by 30 million worldwide, GAC builds momentum across Middle East

GAC produced and sold its 30-millionth vehicle worldwide on July 16, reaching the milestone in just 29 years, the fastest pace of any Chinese automaker. The vehicle, an overseas-market M8 PHEV known as the GN8, rolled off the production line at an owners' celebration in Guangzhou, China.

The milestone lands at a moment of its rapid acceleration overseas. That shift is already reshaping GAC's presence in the Middle East, where a fast-growing customer base is turning the brand into a familiar name on Gulf roads.

30 million stories of trust

For GAC, the 30-million milestone represents more than manufacturing scale. Reaching the mark in 29 years reflects the choices made by millions of customers across different markets and driving environments. It is also, the company says, a starting point for its next phase of global growth.

The milestone itself had a distinctly international character. The 30 millionth vehicle was an overseas version of the GAC GN8, while Thai action star Tony Jaa became its owner. Overseas customers and GAC production facilities around the world also took part in the celebrations, underlining the increasingly global nature of the business.

For Middle Eastern customers, that global celebration was a reminder of the scale behind a brand that is still expanding its presence in the region.

Overseas growth moves into the fast lane

GAC's overseas business sustained rapid growth between January and July this year. Self-owned brand exports reached 145,000 units, up 130 per cent year-on-year, surpassing the company's total export volume for all of 2025 and setting a new annual record.

The growth reflects a broader strategy the company calls One GAC 2.0, where GAC International pursues a more systematic approach to overseas expansion, expanding its global footprint rather than relying solely on exports.

GAC now has a presence across five major regions, covering 110 countries and territories, supported by four R&D centres, seven overseas factories and nine overseas parts warehouses, together with more than 746 sales and service outlets worldwide. Together, the network forms a system spanning production, supply, sales and aftersales service.

The Middle East is a significant part of that momentum. Regional retail sales rose 51 per cent year-on-year in July alone. In Palestine, GAC ranked second in the local electric vehicle market in the first half of the year. In Lebanon, May sales climbed 50 per cent year-on-year, with the EMZOOM becoming the best-selling model in the local B-segment SUV market. In Kuwait, GAC was ranked first among Chinese brands for both quality and resale value, while the GS8 placed third among Chinese-made large SUVs.

Crafted for conditions, built for confidence

For Gulf drivers, extreme heat, drifting sand and salt-laden air are everyday realities rather than occasional hazards. GAC validates its vehicles against those same conditions through what the company calls its Five Highs, One Mountain and One Dust testing regime, trials that include temperatures of 60 degrees Celsius, high-salt-mist exposure and prolonged desert sand and dust.

That level of rigour is not new to GAC. Nearly three decades of close manufacturing partnerships with Toyota and Honda have shaped its world-leading production and quality-management expertise, informing the same validation standards applied to vehicles worldwide. The result, GAC says, is a consistent level of quality regardless of where a car is sold, backed by an eight-year, 160,000-kilometre warranty on the vehicle and an eight-year, 200,000-kilometre warranty on the battery.

For Dr Yahya Al Jasmi, a GAC owner from the UAE who represented Middle East customers at the Guangzhou celebration, that reliability is personal rather than technical. His GN8 has become the vehicle he relies on for family trips, and he says its performance in the region's heat has made every journey easier to trust.

Local roots, new arrivals: GAC's next chapter in the Middle East

GAC describes its overseas expansion as more than an export business. The company follows an in-local-for-local approach, localising research and development, manufacturing, supply chains and aftersales service in the markets it enters, a strategy it links to job creation and stronger local supply networks. In the Middle East specifically, GAC has introduced a Middle East Customer Care programme aimed at keeping service response times short regardless of location.

That local focus is shaping GAC's product plans as well. The GAC GS7 PHEV, a plug-in hybrid SUV built for long-distance range, and the GAC XT80, a rugged, all-terrain SUV designed for desert travel, road trips and everyday city driving, are both due to arrive in the Middle East, with the XT80 expected in early 2027.

Regional influencer AboFlah, who has close to 70 million followers, recently visited GAC's headquarters and toured its Lighthouse Factory, described as the world's first such facility for new energy vehicles, where he previewed both models and showcased the smart manufacturing behind them to younger audiences across the region.

GAC now has its sights on a broader overseas expansion by 2030, targeting annual overseas sales of one million vehicles, a presence in 120 countries and regions, and more than 2,000 overseas outlets.

For GAC, the next stage in the Middle East will therefore be measured by more than sales. The challenge will be to turn the trust built through 30 million vehicles into a lasting presence in the everyday lives of families across the region.