Taking place on 10 to 12 November 2026, Automechanika Dubai brings UK businesses face to face with buyers and sector specialists from the Gulf region, Africa and Asia.
London, UK: UK automotive aftermarket suppliers will find the six Gulf states easier to reach once the UK-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) free trade agreement operates. Negotiators finished the talks in May 2026, and the deal enters into force after both parties complete ratification. When fully implemented, it will exempt around 93% of the goods the UK sends to the GCC from tariffs. The UK government calculates that exporters would save around £580 million in duty each year on current UK exports.
Regional demand is climbing too, which suits automotive aftermarket businesses. Ken Research valued the GCC automotive aftermarket in 2025 at USD 12 billion and expects it to grow to USD 16 billion by 2031.
The Automechanika Dubai show gives UK firms an early chance to study the market and make contacts well before the new trade terms apply. Its 23rd edition is held at Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), Expo City Dubai, on 10 to 12 November 2026. Importers, workshop groups and distributors from throughout the Gulf will be gathered in one venue, ready to meet UK exhibitors and visitors. Because Dubai acts as a re-export gateway, those contacts can also lead on to key CIS markets, as well as Africa and Asia. Exhibitors from 63 countries joined the 2025 edition, which drew visitors from 161 countries.
Messe Frankfurt Middle East is the organiser of Automechanika Dubai, working with the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MOEI), both of which lend government backing. Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) takes the Host City Partner role.
Chris Lee, Portfolio Director, Mobility & Logistics at Messe Frankfurt Middle East, offered this view on the move: “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,” observed Tommy Le, Show Manager at Automechanika Dubai. “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.”
Al Mokamel, AUMOVIO, Hella, Meyle and Hanon Systems are among the more than 1,200 exhibitors expected in 2026, who will arrive from over 50 participating countries. Visitors can browse 11 product sections covering every link in the automotive aftermarket’s 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.
Across the show floor there will be at least 20 content-led features and activations: specialist conferences, practical training sessions, awards, live demonstrations, competitions, interactive experiences, and new launches. Through the conference programme, professionals in the automotive trade should gain a firmer grasp of how the market is developing and what customers, vehicles and workshops will increasingly require.
This year’s edition is aimed at manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, workshop professionals, fleet operators and buyers, and its content will mirror the technologies, business models and vehicles now influencing the Middle East and Africa aftermarket. UK suppliers will find buyers, partners and distributors from GCC countries and further afield at the show. Contacts made there could help sustain trade across the Gulf later on, once the UK-GCC agreement has entered into force. For more information, click here.
