The YouGov MENA Next-Gen Automakers Report (Nov 2025) offers one of the clearest windows into how consumers in the UAE and the wider MENAP region are preparing for a wave of new mobility technologies. This includes electric vehicles, hybrid cars, autonomous driving systems and connected features that now shape the global automotive race.
For founders, investors and policymakers, the report highlights an important reality. The future of the region’s transportation sector will not be defined by legacy automotive firms alone. Instead, software driven innovation, AI powered platforms, subscription services, charging infrastructure and smart-city integration will drive the next decade of economic value. The data signals a region ready for rapid mobility transformation and, in many areas, ahead of global benchmarks.
This article breaks down the report’s key findings and translates them into strategic insights for the region’s innovation economy.
Consumer Awareness and Adoption: A Regional Market Ready for Change
Consumer awareness of next-generation vehicles in the UAE sits above global averages. The report shows that more than 80 percent of UAE respondents are familiar with electric vehicles, and over 50 percent have actively considered a hybrid or electric model when planning a future purchase. This level of awareness matters. High awareness typically correlates with lower acquisition friction, faster adoption cycles and larger addressable markets for mobility startups.
Key UAE findings include:
- 68 percent believe EVs will dominate regional roads within the next decade.
- 49 percent expect to purchase an EV or hybrid as their next vehicle.
- 54 percent see next-gen automakers as more innovative than traditional car manufacturers.
These numbers reveal not only rising consumer confidence but a psychological shift in what people now expect from their cars. Software, intelligence and sustainability matter as much as horsepower.
Across Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the broader MENAP region, the report highlights similar trends. Awareness remains strong, though slightly lower than in the UAE. Saudi Arabia continues to lead large-market readiness, driven by Vision 2030 initiatives, giga-project adoption and rapid expansion of charging networks.
For entrepreneurs, this means large, tech-ready audiences exist for mobility applications across:
- Charging station mapping
- EV subscription and leasing
- Fleet electrification software
- Predictive maintenance systems
- Battery health analytics
- Retail marketplaces for EVs and hybrid models
These areas now represent viable, fundable categories rather than emerging curiosities.
Motivations and Barriers: Why Consumers Choose Next-Gen Automakers
The report highlights three main reasons why UAE consumers choose next-generation automakers over traditional ones.
Key purchase motivations:
- Better fuel efficiency ranks as the top motivator at 47 percent.
- Lower long-term cost of ownership follows at 39 percent.
- Advanced technology features attract 33 percent of respondents.
These findings show a strong demand for vehicles that integrate:
- Smart dashboards
- Autonomous driving assistants
- High-efficiency battery systems
- OTA software updates
- AI-driven safety features
It also reinforces the idea that automotive innovation in MENA will increasingly occur in software layers and services, not factory floors.
Primary barriers:
Despite optimism, barriers remain significant.
- 49 percent cite concerns about charging infrastructure availability.
- 40 percent worry about battery range in hot climates.
- 29 percent believe maintenance costs are unclear.
- 31 percent do not fully trust autonomous driving technologies.
These obstacles reveal market gaps that startups can fill. For example:
- Temperature-adaptive battery solutions
- UAE-wide charging optimizers supported by real-time availability data
- Range prediction systems that use machine learning
- User-friendly cost transparency platforms
- Aftermarket sensors for safety monitoring
- Autonomous-driving consumer education tools
This ecosystem is far from saturated. There is significant room for founders to build technology that sits between consumers and automotive OEMs.
Autonomous Driving Perception: Trust Remains Early but Growing
The report highlights a cautious but rising interest in autonomous mobility.
UAE findings show:
- 22 percent trust full autonomy today
- 45 percent say they would trust it with greater regulation
- 52 percent want clearer safety standards
- 37 percent support partial autonomy features, such as lane-keeping and auto-parking
The MENAP region shows similar patterns, though the UAE leads in readiness due to:
- Greater exposure to smart-city initiatives
- Local pilot programs by mobility companies
- Government-driven digital infrastructure
- Growing use of autonomous shuttles in controlled environments
For founders and investors, this signals demand for a range of autonomy-related technologies:
- Simulation tools for autonomous driving validation
- Digital twins for testing mobility flows
- SaaS platforms for safety monitoring and compliance
- Sensor fusion analytics for local driving environments
- Edge-AI systems that support traffic optimisation
As regulations mature, the region will open new commercial pathways for companies that build autonomy ecosystems rather than full self-driving cars.
Charging Infrastructure: A Critical Growth Vertical for the UAE
Charging access remains the largest friction point in the UAE and MENAP, with 49 percent expressing concern. While governments across the region are expanding networks at a rapid pace, the private sector is primed to play a larger role.
The report highlights these consumer expectations:
- 58 percent expect charging stations to be accessible in malls and residential areas
- 42 percent prefer fast-charging capabilities above all else
- 29 percent are willing to pay a premium for home charging solutions
- 35 percent want chargers integrated with mobile payment systems
These numbers reveal strong market pull for:
- Home charger installation startups
- EV energy management SaaS platforms
- Real-time route optimizers
- Charging network aggregators
- Predictive maintenance for chargers
- Subscriptions for unlimited charging access
For investors, the charging sector represents one of the highest-growth infrastructure categories in the GCC between 2025 and 2035.
Sustainability: A Rising Priority Driving Purchase Behavior
Sustainability is no longer a secondary consideration. The report notes that:
- 41 percent of UAE consumers prefer automakers with strong sustainability credentials
- 36 percent believe next-gen automakers outperform legacy brands in environmental responsibility
- 33 percent consider carbon emissions when choosing a car
This positions the UAE as one of the most sustainability-aware automotive markets in MENAP, aligned with national net-zero goals and widespread consumer acceptance of green technologies.
For startups, sustainability opens customer appetite for:
- Battery recycling platforms
- Carbon reporting dashboards for fleets
- Emissions-optimized routing tools
- Green auto marketplaces
- Circular-economy solutions for parts and components
For founders building climate-focused mobility solutions, this is a signal that the UAE is willing to adopt, and pay for, sustainably engineered products.
The Future of Automotive Commerce in the UAE
The report highlights an important trend. A growing share of users, especially in the UAE, prefer digital channels for research, comparison and purchasing.
Key UAE indicators:
- 38 percent prefer buying a car online
- 62 percent rely on comparison platforms
- 47 percent trust online reviews as much as in-person recommendations
- 33 percent are open to subscription-based automotive models
This creates fertile ground for mobility commerce innovation:
- Digital automotive marketplaces
- AI-assisted buying tools
- Predictive pricing engines
- Vehicle subscription platforms
- On-demand test drive services
- Digital-first dealership infrastructure
The offline dealership model is shifting. The UAE will likely see the rise of hybrid and software-first sales channels.
What This Means for Entrepreneurs and VCs
The data from the report points toward a clear and converging opportunity. The next decade of the region’s automotive growth will be software-led, environmentally driven and infrastructure-dependent.
The highest-potential verticals include:
- Charging infrastructure solutions
- Battery analytics and optimisation
- Fleet AI and autonomous-ready software
- Predictive maintenance and telematics
- Smart mobility commerce
- Sustainability and circular-economy systems
- Digital twins for mobility planning
- Automotive fintech and insurance innovation
- EV leasing, rental and subscription platforms
Startups that blend hardware integration with software-first innovation will dominate early market share.
For VCs, the risk profile is shifting. Mobility is no longer primarily a capital-heavy industry. Much of the region’s value creation will occur in SaaS layers, embedded finance, data platforms and AI-enabled services.
A Decade of Opportunity Ahead for the MENAP Region
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the broader MENAP region are investing heavily in gigacities, autonomous-ready roads, EV charging networks and next-gen digital infrastructure. The YouGov report confirms that consumers are ready to adopt the mobility technologies that these systems will rely on.
- For founders, this is a rare moment where public infrastructure development, consumer readiness and private capital interest align.
- For investors, fresh portfolio whitespace exists across software, data and sustainability.
- For policymakers, the insights indicate strong public support for the region’s broader mobility transformation agenda.
The UAE sits at the center of this shift, with the MENAP region entering a decade where next-generation mobility innovations can scale faster than in many Western markets.
The report makes one message clear. The future of mobility in MENA will not just be imported. It will be built here, by the entrepreneurs, engineers and innovators shaping the region’s next generation of automakers.