Eighteen months after Nio and Abu Dhabi-based CYVN Holdings announced their Middle East joint venture in the presence of two heads of state, most of the commitments made at the founding remain unfulfilled or only partially delivered.
The venture — branded ‘Nio MENA’ with the EV maker’s largest shareholder — was established in October 2024 with plans to bring Nio‘s full product ecosystem to the region.
At the event, the company promised to bring to the region its sub-brands, build a battery swap network, an R&D center focused on autonomous driving and AI, and a bespoke model developed for the local market.
A year and a half later, none of those initiatives have materialised.
The company has opened three retail locations, launched three previous-generation models, built one battery swap station, and undergone what co-founder Qin Lihong described as “fairly deep organisational adjustments” after admitting sales were “not very satisfactory.”
No official vehicle registration or delivery data has been disclosed for the UAE, the only country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region where the EV maker has expanded so far.
The Founding
Nio and CYVN signed the agreement to form Nio MENA in October 2024 in Cairo.
The ceremony took place in the presence of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
CYVN Holdings holds approximately 20.1% of Nio — making it the single largest shareholder — after completing two investments totalling $3.3 billion in 2023.
In its founding announcement, Nio said the venture would “introduce NIO’s vehicle models, as well as those from its subsidiary brands to the MENA market,” positioning the UAE as “a key player in the deployment of advanced autonomous driving systems and battery-swapping technologies.”
Promises vs. Reality
Nio‘s founding announcement explicitly stated it would bring “its subsidiary brands” to the MENA market.
At the time of the October 2024 signing, the EV maker had two brands: the core Nio brand and the family-oriented Onvo, whose first model (the L60) had just begun deliveries in China.
Firefly, the company’s compact car brand, was announced two months later in December 2024.
Neither Onvo nor Firefly has launched in the UAE or broader MENA region. Only core Nio-brand models are available.
Battery Swap Network
Nio‘s official press release for the Nio House Abu Dhabi opening stated the first swap station would be operational “at the end of 2024.”
The station opened on February 27, 2025, at Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
It is a third-generation unit that can hold 21 batteries and perform up to 408 swaps per day.
China’s domestic rollout is already on its fourth-generation stations. A swap costs AED 119 ($32) for a 100 kWh battery and AED 99 ($27) for the 75 kWh pack.
As of July 2025, 15% of Nio’s UAE customers had used it; the absolute number was not disclosed.
A second station in Dubai was described as opening “in the coming weeks” in a Nio press release in May 2025.
As of Sunday, it has not opened.
Co-founder Qin outlined a “Y-shaped layout” plan along the Abu Dhabi–Dubai highway but said Nio would not fund the infrastructure itself.
“We are very determined: first, we must do swapping; second, we must not use our own funds to do it — we still want to use third-party capital,” the co-founder said last year.
R&D Center
The October 2024 agreement included plans for an advanced technology R&D center in Abu Dhabi focused on autonomous driving and artificial intelligence.
Nio has listed Abu Dhabi among its global R&D locations in subsequent press releases, starting from November 2024.
However, details on staffing, opening, operations, or output have been disclosed so far.
Dedicated Model
The founding press release said the two companies would “collaborate on a new electric vehicle project, involving research, manufacturing, and future product launches.”
“As part of their broader regional vision, Nio and CYVN Holdings also plan to collaborate on a new electric vehicle project, involving research, manufacturing, and future product launches,” the company said in October 2024.
Li separately stated on the Nio App that the company would “jointly develop an all-new model for the local market.”
There have been no subsequent announcements, prototypes, or timelines.
This year, the Shanghai-headquartered company will launch three new models, all large SUVs: Nio ES9, Onvo L80 and a third one planned for the third quarter.
Current UAE Lineup
The three models on sale — the EL8 (ES8’s name outside China), EC6, and ET5 — are all from Nio‘s second-generation NT 2.0 platform.
The third-generation ES8, which launched in China in September 2025 and became the dominant product in Nio‘s domestic lineup — accounting for 77.1% of Nio-brand deliveries in Q1 2026 — has not been introduced in the UAE.
The flagship ET9 sedan and the 2025/2026 model-year refreshes of the ET5, ES6, and EC6, unveiled in China this month, are also unavailable.
Limited MENA
The founding announcement positioned the UAE as the “initial market” with broader MENA expansion to follow, including ties to Egypt’s manufacturing ecosystem.
Nio appointed Green Car as its national distributor in Azerbaijan in November 2024, with deliveries promised for the second quarter of 2025.
No confirmed deliveries have been announced. No formal launches have occurred in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, or other Gulf markets.
Israel
Unlike the UAE, Israel publishes granular vehicle registration data through its Vehicle Importers Association — making it the only market in the MENA region where Nio’s commercial performance can be independently verified.
The data is stark. Nio ranked 61st out of 63 brands in Israel in Q1 2026, registering just two vehicles — one NIO EL6 in January and one in March, with zero in February.
The Q1 total represents a 96.8% year-on-year decline from Q1 2025, according to data compiled by Best Selling Cars Blog from official sources.
As EV reported in February, Nio failed to register a single vehicle in Israel that month while Chinese brands collectively surged to a record 41.4% market share.
Omoda & Jaecoo claimed the overall market lead for the first time with a 13.5% share.
BYD registered 5,557 units in Q1 (+62.1% YoY), XPeng sold 1,450 (-34.7%), Zeekr 597 (-20.5%), Deepal 1,315 (+445.6%), and Leapmotor 548 (+33.7%). Even Ora — GWM’s budget EV brand — outsold Nio with 115 units.
The brand ended 2025 ranked 57th in Israel, selling a modest number of units across the full year.
Its collapse to near-zero in Q1 2026 occurred against a backdrop of rising demand for Chinese vehicles in the market.
Physical Presence
The premium brand has opened three retail locations in the UAE.
Nio House Abu Dhabi opened in November 2024, at The Galleria on Al Maryah Island. The 970-square-metre facility was the first Nio House in the MENA region.
Nio Space Dubai opened on January 9, 2025, at Gate Avenue in the Dubai International Financial Centre.
Nio Hub Dubai opened in September 2025 on Sheikh Zayed Road. The 772-square-metre facility includes a showroom and a delivery centre.
A temporary pop-up store was also opened in Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi’s largest shopping center.
Current Offers and Pricing
Nio‘s UAE website lists three models with the following starting prices, all including VAT and battery, with current incentives spanning zero down payment, free insurance, and free registration.
The ET5 sedan starts at AED 199,900 ($54,400). The EC6 coupe SUV starts at AED 239,900 ($65,300). The EL8 flagship SUV starts at AED 359,900 ($98,000).
The company is running an aggressive incentive programme valid until April 30, 2026, offering zero down payment, complimentary first-year insurance, complimentary first-year vehicle registration, and a choice between a free home charger with installation or an ADNOC charging voucher.
The homepage advertises monthly payments from AED 2,499 ($680) and “up to 20% cash back.” Financing is available through approved banking partners with buyers through Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank can defer their first payment for up to six months.
The Restructuring
By mid-2025, Nio’s leadership acknowledged the launch had not met expectations.
At a media roundtable in Hangzhou in September 2025, co-founder Qin told reporters — include EV — the company’s UAE sales “were not very satisfactory.”
He said the venture had “encountered some challenges” since its debut the previous November.
“Starting in Q3, our Nio MENA company underwent fairly deep organisational adjustments and a refresh in strategy,” he stated.
Qin said momentum had improved but provided no figures. “In the past two months, our situation in the UAE has become much better than in the first half,” he stated without disclosing sales numbers.
Mohammed Maktari, the chief of Nio MENA, said a few months ago in an interview with Arabian Business that the brand aims to be in the top three in the premium EV segment in the UAE within two to three years.
“We’re using a distribution model that’s new for NIO, so it’s been a learning curve for everyone involved,” he told L’Officiel.
Key Personnel
Roberto Lopes da Silva serves as General Manager of Nio UAE.
He joined Nio in May 2024, having previously served as Chief Sales Officer at Canadian EV company AXL.
Chris Chen, who previously led Nio‘s European expansion project, was appointed to oversee the broader MENA efforts.
Financial Disclosure
Nio‘s annual report (Form 20-F) does not break down revenue by country or sub-region. International revenue is reported as a single “Other” line alongside China.
The MENA region’s contribution cannot be isolated from public filings.
The 20-F does disclose losses by jurisdiction. “Other jurisdictions” — covering all international operations — recorded losses of 466 million yuan ($64 million) in 2023, 1.18 billion yuan ($162 million) in 2024, and 933 million yuan ($133 million) in 2025.
Combined with the absence of local registration data, there is no independent way to quantify the MENA venture’s commercial performance.
What Comes Next
Nio has not publicly outlined a revised timeline for any of the unfulfilled commitments.
The R&D center, the bespoke model, the sub-brand expansion, the second swap station, and the introduction of current-generation vehicles all remain without disclosed milestones.
The Nio Group exported 271 vehicles globally in Q1 2026 — representing 0.3% of total deliveries.
Co-founder Qin said in March that the company is targeting “several thousand units” shipped overseas this year, while laying the foundation for “larger-scale expansion overseas in the next two to three years.”
