The UAE emerged as the leading Gulf market for electric vehicle readiness, with EVs accounting for around 9% of new vehicle sales in 2025. The country ranked 22nd globally in the 2026 Global Electric Mobility Readiness Index by Arthur D. Little.
The UAE scored 53 points in the index. It ranked highest among the GCC markets covered in the report, which assessed 31 markets worldwide. The report said EV readiness is shaped by more than vehicle technology. It also depends on charging infrastructure, affordability, regulation, energy systems and customer readiness.
Electric vehicles made up around 9% of new vehicle sales in the UAE last year. Battery electric vehicles accounted for about 6% to 8% of sales. Plug-in hybrids added another 2.5%. The country also expanded its charging network. The UAE now has approximately 2,800 charging points nationwide. This includes around 1,250 DC charging points and 350 high-power charging units.
The UAE set a target for electric or hybrid vehicles to make up 50% of vehicles on its roads by 2050. Dubai has a separate target for EVs to account for more than 15% of its vehicle fleet by 2030. Joseph Salem, Partner and Middle East lead for Travel, Transportation and Hospitality at Arthur D. Little, highlighted that the UAE has a growing EV ecosystem supported by infrastructure investment and long-term mobility plans.
The report found that EV adoption is developing at different speeds across global markets. China and Norway were the only markets to score above 100 on the readiness index. China scored 106, while Norway scored 103. Singapore followed with 96 points, while the Netherlands scored 90. The report linked China's position to its vehicle manufacturing scale, battery supply chains, charging infrastructure, software, incentives and regulation.
Other markets, including Türkiye, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brazil, are also gaining momentum through different combinations of affordability, infrastructure and industrial policy. Arthur D. Little said battery-electric vehicles may not expand at the same pace in every market. Plug-in hybrids and range-extended electric vehicles could serve as a transition option in some countries. Alexander Krug, Partner in Arthur D. Little's Automotive and Manufacturing Goods practice, said, “The world would not become fully electric at one speed or through one pathway.”
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