(Yicai) Feb. 6 -- Chinese new energy vehicle giant BYD has tied up with Mannai, a Qatari group known for its auto dealership, to debut a wide range of NEVs in Qatar as the Middle Eastern country makes the change to electric vehicles.

“Qatar has charted a visionary energy transition plan, setting the goal of achieving a 10 percent share of pure electric car sales by 2030, establishing 15,000 charging stations, and achieving comprehensive public transportation electrification by 2030,” BYD said yesterday.

Qatar’s transport ministry unveiled plans last April to make 35 percent of cars and all public buses in the Persian Gulf state electric by the end of this decade.

BYD said last year was a new chapter for the Shenzhen-based automaker in the Middle East and Africa, with expansions into key markets, including the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Morocco, Jordan, Reunion, Bahrain, and Rwanda.

“BYD, as a global leader in NEVs, is dedicated to steering the global electrification drive," said AD Huang, general manager of BYD Middle East and Africa. “Through our partnership with Mannai, we aspire to furnish Qatari consumers with high-caliber, innovative NEVs, collectively ushering in a future powered by clean energy.”

Mannai is poised to collaborate with BYD, actively contributing to the advancement of Qatar's NEV market and providing local consumers with an expanded and superior array of NEVs, the Chinese firm noted.

BYD, which overtook Tesla as the world's top seller of electric vehicles last year, sold 3.02 million cars in 2023, up 62 percent on 2022, the company said on Jan. 29. Its autos have entered more than 400 cities across 70 countries and regions.

Editor: Martin Kadiev