Li L9 UAE Launch Expands Li Auto’s Gulf Presence

Li L9 UAE launch marks Li Auto’s first official vehicle sales in the United Arab Emirates, extending its overseas expansion from Central Asia into the Middle East. The company held a launch event in Dubai on Thursday, according to a statement issued today. The flagship extended-range SUV is available locally in the same two versions offered in China: Ultra and Livis. The Ultra starts at AED 319,900 ($87,100), while the Livis starts at AED 359,900. The launch represents a new milestone in the company’s global expansion and gives it an official retail presence in a strategically important Gulf market.

Li L9 EREV Technology and Performance

The new SUV uses a third-generation extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) system. It delivers a CLTC battery-only range of 420 kilometers and a combined range of 1,650 kilometers with a full tank and a full charge. The vehicle is designed to provide electric driving capability while retaining extended-range operation for longer journeys. This configuration is central to the model’s positioning as a family-focused flagship SUV and forms an important part of the company’s strategy for markets where long-distance driving, climate conditions and charging requirements can influence vehicle selection.

The UAE-specification model includes several advanced chassis and electronic features as standard. The SUV comes with steer-by-wire and rear-wheel steering, while its intelligent cockpit is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8797 platform. These systems are intended to support maneuverability, digital functionality and the vehicle’s connected in-cabin experience. The higher-end Livis version adds an 800-volt active suspension system and electromechanical brake-by-wire (EMB), giving the upper trim additional hardware intended to enhance its driving and control capabilities.

UAE-Specific Vehicle and Software Adaptations

The company specially calibrated and adapted the vehicle for UAE roads, extreme summer heat, dusty conditions and local charging standards. The changes include optimized charging performance and cabin thermal management for hot and dusty environments, with the objective of improving reliability in local use. These market-specific adjustments are significant because the vehicle is not being introduced as an unchanged export model. Instead, its charging behavior, thermal management and operating characteristics have been adapted to the environmental and infrastructure conditions expected in the UAE.

The digital experience has also been localized for the UAE market. The vehicle offers an Arabic-language user interface and currently supports voice interaction in English. Arabic voice support is scheduled to become available by the end of this year. The new model also supports local charging protocols and integrates localized map data, allowing its digital services to better reflect everyday driving requirements in the country. Together, these changes extend localization beyond hardware and help align the vehicle’s software experience with local customers and infrastructure.

Distribution, Retail and Customer Support

The flagship SUV is entering the UAE through an official distribution structure established with Al Fahim Group. The two companies reached an agreement in April, making the group the exclusive general distributor for the country. Their plan calls for more than two official retail and service centers in the UAE. The first official retail center is scheduled to open in downtown Dubai in September. This network is intended to provide customers with an authorized sales and after-sales channel as the company builds its Gulf presence.

Customers who purchase the vehicle through official channels will receive an official warranty, certified repairs, genuine parts and technical support. They will also receive ongoing over-the-air (OTA) software updates. The combination of formal warranty coverage, authorized service capabilities and software support is designed to establish a complete ownership ecosystem around the vehicle. For a new market entry, this infrastructure is particularly important because customers need confidence that repairs, parts availability, technical assistance and software updates will remain supported after the initial purchase.

Middle East and International Expansion

Li Auto chief financial officer Li Tie said the company’s family-focused positioning and extended-range technology are highly aligned with demand in the Middle East. The positioning reflects the model’s role as a large flagship SUV while emphasizing the flexibility offered by its extended-range electric powertrain. The company is using that combination as it expands its international sales footprint beyond its established domestic market and seeks to position its flagship model for customers in markets where extended driving range can be an important consideration.

The expansion follows the company’s entry into markets across Central Asia, the Caucasus and North Africa in 2025. This year, it launched the new SUV in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, extending the model’s overseas availability before the UAE introduction. The broader sequence shows an international expansion strategy that is moving across multiple regions rather than focusing on a single overseas market. The Gulf launch adds another major geographic area to that expansion and creates a foundation for further development in the Middle East.

Kazakhstan is also becoming important to the company’s international operating structure. The company reached a local assembly agreement with the Kazakhstani automotive group Allur, making Kazakhstan the first market where it has an overseas production base. This arrangement goes beyond vehicle sales by establishing a local manufacturing presence outside China. It provides an additional element to the company’s overseas expansion strategy as it develops regional operations and increases its exposure to markets where local production can support broader commercial growth.

The company has also signed a cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabian distributor Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors. The agreement was reached in April, but a launch timetable for the Saudi Arabian market has not yet been announced. The planned relationship nevertheless indicates that the company is preparing for a wider Gulf presence beyond the UAE. The absence of a confirmed launch schedule means the UAE remains the company’s first official vehicle-sales market in the Gulf region, while Saudi Arabia represents a potential next step in its regional expansion.

Li L9 Sales History and Pricing

The model has a substantial delivery history in its home market. The Li L9 was initially launched in China in June 2022 and surpassed 300,000 cumulative deliveries in July. The updated version currently sold in China was launched in May. In China, the Ultra version starts at 459,800 yuan ($67,830), while the Livis version starts at 509,800 yuan. The UAE pricing is therefore positioned differently from the Chinese-market pricing, while the two markets retain the same Ultra and Livis version structure for the flagship SUV.

Recent company delivery figures provide additional context for the overseas expansion. The company delivered 37,679 vehicles in August, representing a 32.07% year-over-year increase and ending three consecutive months of year-over-year declines. In the first eight months of the year, it delivered 261,619 vehicles, down 0.6% from a year earlier. The figures show stronger August momentum despite a slightly lower cumulative delivery total, giving overseas expansion an additional backdrop as the company seeks growth beyond its domestic market.

Global Market Development Strategy

The UAE introduction also highlights how the company is combining vehicle technology with market-specific preparation. Rather than relying only on the vehicle’s core EREV system, the UAE version incorporates adaptations covering charging performance, thermal management, software language, map data and local charging protocols. The approach is particularly relevant for a premium SUV entering a market characterized by high summer temperatures and dusty conditions. The combination of technical localization and an official service network is intended to support reliable operation and a more complete customer experience from launch.

The international expansion is not limited to sales and distribution. The company plans to participate in the 2026 Paris Motor Show, which will mark its first appearance at a major European auto show. That participation would broaden the company’s international visibility beyond Central Asia, the Gulf, the Caucasus and North Africa. Together with its overseas production arrangement in Kazakhstan and developing distributor relationships in the Gulf, the planned European auto-show appearance signals an increasingly global approach to market development and brand exposure.

The UAE introduction consequently represents more than the addition of another sales market for the flagship SUV. It brings the company’s extended-range technology into the Gulf through an official distributor, localized vehicle and software configuration, planned retail and service facilities, and formal customer support. The broader expansion remains in progress, with Saudi Arabia still lacking a confirmed launch timetable and the company preparing for its first major European auto-show appearance. The combination of these moves indicates a strategy built around gradual international market entry, regional partnerships and localized vehicle deployment.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the Li L9 enter the UAE market?
The flagship SUV officially entered the UAE in 2026, marking the company’s first official vehicle sales in the Gulf region through its exclusive distributor, Al Fahim Group. The model is offered locally in Ultra and Livis versions, with prices starting at AED 319,900 and AED 359,900, respectively. The company has also planned more than two official retail and service centers in the country, with the first center scheduled to open in downtown Dubai in September. UAE-specific adaptations cover charging, thermal management, software and navigation.

What range does the Li L9 offer?
The flagship extended-range SUV uses a third-generation EREV system and provides a CLTC battery-only range of 420 kilometers, while its combined range reaches 1,650 kilometers with a full tank and full charge. The configuration allows electric driving while retaining extended-range capability for longer journeys. The UAE model also includes localized charging protocols and optimized charging performance for local conditions. These features are complemented by thermal-management adaptations designed for extreme summer heat and dusty environments, supporting the vehicle’s reliability and everyday usability in the UAE.