Meet Rabdan – first new energy vehicle Made in the Emirates
Since the debut of Saudi’s first EV car brand – Ceer – late last year, industry experts have been wondering how long it would take the UAE to roll out its own electric vehicle.
Just over 10 months is the answer, as the UAE’s Rabdan brand has been making eye-catching appearances at events in the country.
The UAE’s first new energy vehicle (NEV) brand will not only advance the country’s industrial sector but will also boost its contribution to gross domestic product and net zero commitments, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President-designate, has said.
Dr Al Jaber was visiting NWTN Inc., the manufacturer that produces the Rabdan car in Abu Dhabi.
“The Rabdan brand embodies the ambitious and forward-looking vision of the UAE’s leadership to innovate and advance the industrial sector and enhance its contribution to GDP and net zero commitments,” said Dr Al Jaber, who is also UAE Special Envoy on Climate Change.
Since that visit, there has been the launch of a dedicated smart and autonomous vehicles zone in Masdar City in Abu Dhabi.
The Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industries (SAVI) cluster will create up to 50,000 jobs and aims to attract companies from around the world to advance the development of driverless fleets across air, land and sea.
The transformational SAVI project will contribute up to AED120 billion (US$32.67 billion) to the UAE economy.
“As a catalyst for Abu Dhabi’s diversification, SAVI is a game changer that will unleash extraordinary economic growth and create new opportunities for talent, entrepreneurs and investors,” said Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED).
NWTN builds the UAE's first EV
NWTN Inc. is a pioneering green energy company dedicated to providing passenger-focused, premium electric vehicle products and green energy solutions.
NWTN’s first new energy vehicle (NEV), Rabdan One, is also the first to be officially labelled Made in the Emirates.
The company attained its own World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) in August and has since passed the inspection of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) in the UAE to achieve its Made in the Emirates certification.
The inspection consisted of an audit of NWTN’s supply chain, warehousing, production process flows, quality control and quality assurance in NWTN’s assembly facility located in the Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi (KEZAD).
It was as recent as July 2023 that NWTN signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ADDED to establish and construct a production line and expand its factory in the emirate.
NWTN’s stated mission is to bring premium passenger-centric mobility and green energy solutions to the world. The company is headquartered in Dubai and has its manufacturing facilities in Abu Dhabi.
NWTN is focused on development of the entire value chain of clean energy applications in the UAE – including renewable energy generation, battery storage, and mobility – with plans to expand into the wider region, Europe and Southeast Asia.
