Zeekr has entered into partnerships in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain to sell electric vehicles in those markets.

(Image credit: Zeekr)

Zeekr, the premium electric vehicle (EV) subsidiary of Geely Holding Group, has entered into new partnerships in the Middle East to expand its coverage in the region to four additional countries in addition to Israel.

Zeekr has entered into partnerships with AW Rostamani Holdings in the UAE, Wallan Trading Company in Saudi Arabia, Blue Lake Motors in Qatar, and Y.K. Almoayyed & Sons from Bahrain to sell EVs in these markets, the company announced today.

Zeekr will offer the Zeekr 001 shooting brake and Zeekr X sport utility vehicle models in these Middle Eastern countries, with first deliveries beginning in the first quarter of 2024, it said.

Both models are based on the all-electric Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), which can meet global regulatory requirements and can perform well in hot scenarios, Zeekr said.

"Customer demand for premium vehicles with new technologies is strong in the Middle East. All ZEEKR models are built on SEA architecture and developed for the global market," said Chen Yu, vice president of Zeekr.

Zeekr will work with partners in the future to improve its local sales network and provide users with a more immersive experience, he said.

On July 10, Zeekr announced that it had signed an agreement with Israeli distributor Union Group to establish a car distribution network in Israel.

Zeekr will launch the Zeekr 001 and Zeekr X in Israel, with pre-sales and subsequent deliveries expected to begin in the fourth quarter, it previously said.

Prior to announcing its plans to enter Israel, Zeekr had already announced entry into Sweden, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan and Germany.

Zeekr will be in a cumulative total of six European countries by 2024, and it expects its international presence to reach eight countries by 2025, it previously said.

Notably, Zeekr has adopted a direct sales model in Europe, similar to Nio (NYSE: NIO). In the Middle East, on the other hand, it has adopted a traditional dealership model.

Zeekr was founded in 2021 and its first model, the Zeekr 001, was launched on April 15, 2021 and deliveries began in October 2021 in China.

On November 1, 2022, Zeekr's second model, the Zeekr 009 MPV, was launched and its deliveries began on January 15.

On April 12, Zeekr released its third model, the Zeekr X, and its deliveries in China began on June 12.

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