Chery-backed Freelander plans 11 Middle East markets, including Oman
Freelander International, the brand backed by Chery, says it will enter 11 Middle East markets, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, with a full roll-out in the first half of 2027. Al Tayer Motors and Premier Motors will represent it in the UAE, where the Freelander 8 is due in the first quarter of 2027. Partnership agreements for Bahrain and Oman were signed in October; the partners were not named.
Our thoughts A new Chinese-backed brand with an as-yet unnamed Omani partner will shift at least one local distributor's line-up in 2027; how quickly it builds a showroom and service network will decide how fast it can compete.