Automechanika Dubai, set for 10 to 12 November 2026, gives UK companies a chance to meet buyers and industry professionals travelling from Asia and Africa as well as the Gulf itself.
London, UK: Once the UK-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) free trade agreement is in place, UK automotive aftermarket suppliers should find the six Gulf states much easier to sell into. Talks ended in May 2026, and the deal enters into force only once ratification is done on both sides. Full implementation will see tariffs lifted from around 93% of what British firms ship to the GCC. The UK government calculates that, across goods already being exported, duty bills would fall by around £580 million a year.
Demand is climbing across the region, too. Ken Research reports that the GCC automotive aftermarket stood at USD 12 billion in 2025 and should climb to USD 16 billion by 2031.
UK businesses can test the market and form relationships before the tariff cuts bite at Automechanika Dubai. The 23rd edition will take over Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) at Expo City Dubai across 10 to 12 November 2026. Gulf distributors, importers and workshop groups will all be present, giving British exhibitors and visitors one place to meet them. Dubai’s re-export gateway role also opens doors to key CIS markets, Asia and Africa. In the 2025 edition, 161 countries sent visitors and 63 countries sent exhibitors.
Run by Messe Frankfurt Middle East, the show is backed by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MOEI), with the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) in Dubai as Host City Partner.
The venue move drew this comment from Chris Lee, Portfolio Director, Mobility & Logistics, at Messe Frankfurt Middle East: “After more than two decades at Dubai World Trade Centre, moving to Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai feels like the right next step for Automechanika Dubai. The market is changing quickly, and the show needs the space and flexibility to keep changing with it.”
“What we are seeing across the region is a more varied aftermarket,” was how Tommy Le, Show Manager at Automechanika Dubai, put it. “Conventional vehicles remain a major part of the market, but hybrid, electric and connected vehicles are changing the products, skills and technical knowledge the industry needs. Automechanika Dubai 2026 will bring that evolving mix together, giving businesses the opportunity to understand where the market is heading and build the relationships they need as the show moves to Dubai Exhibition Centre for the first time.”
Meyle, Hanon Systems, Al Mokamel, Hella and AUMOVIO are among the companies lined up for 2026, when organisers anticipate more than 1,200 exhibitors spanning over 50 participating countries. The show’s 11 product sections follow the automotive aftermarket value chain: parts and components, electrics and electronics, tyres and wheels, batteries and technology, diagnostics and repair, vehicle care and detailing, and digital solutions and services.
Besides the exhibits themselves, organisers have planned at least 20 content-led features and activations: specialist conferences, practical training sessions, awards, live demonstrations, competitions, interactive experiences, and new launches. The conference programme is aimed at helping automotive professionals grasp how the market is developing and prepare for whatever customers, vehicles and workshops demand next.
Fleet operators, buyers, manufacturers, workshop professionals, suppliers and distributors are all expected, and the coming edition will echo a broader mix of business models, technologies and vehicles now reshaping the Middle East and Africa aftermarket. UK suppliers can use the event to meet partners, buyers and distributors based anywhere in the GCC or beyond. Relationships formed there may help sustain sales to Gulf customers later, with the UK-GCC agreement still working towards entry into force. For more information, click here.
