SHANGHAI / BEIJING | Feb 6 (GeokHub) Chinese automaker Seres has announced a strategic move into the Middle East, confirming that its electric vehicle brand Aito has partnered with Abu Dhabi–based dealer Performance Plus Motors to launch sales in the United Arab Emirates.
The agreement marks Aito’s first international expansion, as the brand looks beyond China’s increasingly crowded electric vehicle market. Under the deal, Performance Plus Motors will oversee sales, vehicle delivery, and after-sales services for Aito’s premium smart vehicles in the UAE, according to a statement from Seres. No official rollout timeline was disclosed.
Aito operates under Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance and is currently the alliance’s most commercially successful brand. Its flagship model, the Aito 9 luxury SUV, has already begun test drives in the UAE, while initial vehicle shipments have arrived at Dubai’s port.
Jason Wang, president of Seres’ overseas business unit, described the partnership as a key step in Aito’s global expansion strategy, adding that the company plans to establish a broader Middle Eastern presence as a gateway into nearby markets.
Previously, Aito vehicles were sold exclusively within China. The brand made its international debut at the Munich auto show in September 2025, signaling its ambitions to compete globally in the premium EV segment.
Seres, headquartered in Chongqing, began exporting vehicles under its own brand in 2023. Industry data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers shows that by November 2025, the company had exported 1,615 Seres-branded vehicles.
Aito has been central to Seres’ recent growth. The brand recorded over 420,000 vehicle sales in 2025, helping lift Seres’ total EV sales by 10.6% year-on-year to 472,269 units.
