Qatar’s first electric car plant eyes first vehicle rollout in 2028

Qatar is set to establish its first electric vehicle manufacturing plant through a long-term partnership between Doha-based JTA International Investment Holding and Britain’s Watt Electric Vehicle Company (WEVC), with production expected to begin in early 2028.

The vehicles will be engineered for the Gulf’s extreme heat, including thermal management, battery performance, regional driving patterns and customer preferences.

The factory will initially produce a passenger car and a medium-sized delivery van, with output of about 5,000 units a year before expanding.

Designed and engineered in the UK, the vehicles will be manufactured entirely in Qatar under a ‘Made in Qatar’ banner, first serving the domestic market before exports to GCC and selected international markets.

The partnership was formalised in Doha by JTA founder and chief executive Amir Ali Salemi Zadeh and WEVC founder and chief executive Neil Yates.

Both models will use WEVC’s PACES aluminium skateboard chassis, which integrates the battery into the vehicle’s main structure, reducing weight, tooling costs and manufacturing complexity.

The modular platform supports front, rear, and all-wheel-drive configurations, from small city cars to commercial vans, and won the Innovation Award at the 2026 Autocar Awards.

Salemi Zadeh said the venture would create new industrial capability for Qatar, supporting technology transfer, skilled jobs and local supply chains in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.

The GCC electric-car market is valued at $11.64bn and is projected to reach $31.66bn by 2031, driven largely by diversification programmes including Saudi Vision 2030 and UAE Net Zero 2050.

Yates said the Qatar partnership could accelerate WEVC’s plans for UK manufacturing and serve as a model for satellite operations in the US and Asia. He said the company’s low-capital approach helps it respond to geopolitical challenges such as rising tariff barriers.

WEVC operates from Cornwall and Worcestershire and plans new Midlands premises, while JTA, founded in 2010, invests across multiple sectors in more than 50 countries. Detailed implementation planning will be completed before factory development and joint vehicle programmes begin.

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