AutoData Middle East Summit Reveals Key Insights Shaping the Automotive Sector

• Launches its innovative DealRevs platform, augmenting decision-making processes and improving profitability with real-time data
• The summit reveals EV potential to reach 25% market share by 2035, while Chinese EVs hold 14% market share in comparison to non-Chinese brands in the UAE

Dubai, UAE – December 2024: AutoData Middle East, the leading automotive data solutions provider in the UAE, hosted the first-ever AutoData Middle East Summit on 9 December 2024 at Paramount Midtown Hotel, Dubai. The event brought together industry leaders and stakeholders to explore market challenges, emerging trends, and groundbreaking technologies shaping the regional automotive landscape.

The AutoData Middle East Summit featured insightful discussions and presentations addressing the challenges and opportunities shaping the UAE and the wider regional automotive sector. It served as a collaborative platform for key players, including dealerships, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), financial institutions, automotive service providers, and automotive insurance providers, to foster dialogue that enhances transparency and confidence within the industry. Notable speakers included Craig Stevens, CEO of DubiCars, alongside other prominent industry experts.

Sebastian Fuchs, Managing Director of AutoData Middle East, highlighted the significance of the event:
“This summit marks a pivotal step in AutoData Middle East’s journey to transform the regional automotive ecosystem. By leveraging real-time data and fostering industry collaboration, we are redefining transparency and empowering our partners to thrive in a competitive landscape.”

The summit also spotlighted the dominance of Chinese brands in the EV sector, with over 300 models available globally and an impressive 12,000% growth in EV purchases over the last decade. The potential of EVs in the UAE was also underscored, with market share projected to reach 25% by 2035, although residual values remain below the three-year average. Moreover, it was mentioned that Chinese EVs are outperforming non-Chinese brands due to affordability, advanced technology, and robust after-sales support, driving a 10% increase in market share to 14%.

Key innovations, such as AutoData’s AutoPrice AI Engine, were also unveiled, showcasing a cutting-edge AI-enabled price recommendation system tailored for used cars, by combining real-time market insights, reinforcement learning, and scalability to deliver accuracy and speed. Future advancements include AI-driven risk profiling, image-based vehicle identification, and conversational AI, marking the next frontier in automotive technology.

Additionally, the summit offered critical insights into the demographics and preferences of the UAE drivers, led by DubiCars. Emirati nationals account for 11.6% of the population, while expatriates, primarily South Asians, make up 88.4%, significantly influencing market dynamics. The demand for Chinese cars is surging, with over 150 domestic brands globally—50 of which are currently present in the UAE. This shift has reshaped leasing trends as companies pivot from Japanese to Chinese models, driven by affordability and innovation. Notably, over 1,000 new models were added to DubiCar’s database in the past five years, reflecting the sector’s rapid evolution.

Craig Stevens, CEO of DubiCars, commented on the summit’s collaborative impact:
“I am delighted to be involved in the AutoData Middle East Summit 2024, an industry-first initiative dedicated to driving innovation and sharing critical data and best practices in the automotive sector. Events like these are crucial in shaping the future of our industry, and I look forward to collaborating with peers to unlock new opportunities and insights.”

A highlight of the event was the unveiling of the DealRevs platform, a transformative solution designed to revolutionize dealership operations. DealRevs provides real-time pricing recommendations, competitive insights, and inventory analytics, enabling dealerships to make data-driven decisions and maximize profitability. Its innovative “freshness score” feature optimizes stock turnover by ensuring vehicles are priced competitively and sold efficiently. Since its launch, DealRevs has disrupted the market, with the potential to generate an additional AED 1.5 million annually in profits for an average automotive dealer.

The inaugural AutoData Middle East Summit was a resounding success, fostering pivotal discussions and delivering invaluable insights. AutoData Middle East continues to pioneer the regional automotive industry with its commitment to transparency and innovation.

Testimonials from key stakeholders who attended the AutoData Middle East Summit:

Carlo Pepe, AI Business Consultant at Koshima, lauded AutoData’s innovative approach: “AutoData is setting a fantastic example by using artificial intelligence to take their services to the next level. What stands out is their thoughtful approach of combining multiple large language models. This not only adds resilience to their system but also ensures they’re making the most of the strengths each model brings. It’s clear they’ve built this with scale in mind, which means their customers are going to see real value, especially as this approach supports their growth beyond the UAE and into new markets like Saudi Arabia.”

Ahmad Ayyash, General Manager of Fasttrack, remarked: “Congratulations on such a well-organised and structured event that gave insights, solutions, and innovation to the wider automotive industry, by such an amazing team!”

Nicholas Powell from Audi Middle East, also shared his thoughts on the successful summit: “Great insights and powerful tools. We really liked the insights on residual values.”