Global automobile company, GWM (Great Wall Motor) has unveiled its flagship Tank 700 in Dubai, signalling a major push in its “Accelerate Beyond 2026” strategy as the Chinese automaker deepens expansion across the Middle East and Africa.
The launch headlined a three-day GWM Experience event, which brought together hundreds of partners, dealers, and media from across both regions to showcase the company’s innovation roadmap and regional growth strategy.
In his keynote, President of GWM International, Parker Shi traced the company’s 28-year journey in the Middle East from its first pickup truck to a global footprint in more than 170 markets.
“Our journey began 28 years ago with a modest pickup, but it opened the first chapter of our international story,” he said.
“This decades of experience formed the foundation for our next phase of development.”
Shi highlighted GWM’s “user-first” engineering philosophy, backed by 13 R&D centres, 13 manufacturing bases, and a global user base of 16 million as of November.
He emphasised the company’s multi-powertrain strategy:
“We became the first to introduce the full range of powertrains to the Middle East – gasoline, diesel, HEV reflecting our brand positioning of all scenarios, all powertrains, all users.”
Mr. Shi also confirmed that Hi-4, GWM’s intelligent 4WD electric hybrid system, winner of China SAE’s top engineering award will enter the Middle East and Africa in 2026.
He said the TANK brand has become central to GWM’s global expansion:
“Today, tank models are in more than 13 countries with global sales of over 800,000 units. A passionate user community, nearly 80 tank clubs and 300 online groups worldwide, continues to shape product evolution.”
Unveiling the Tank 700, Shi stressed that the model was engineered with the Middle East in mind, undergoing month-long off-road and heat-resistance testing in Saudi Arabia.
“Here, luxury must be proven. It must stay composed in heat, and long distance. We describe it as luxury that conquers.”
GWM CTO Nicole Wu reiterated the brand’s full-spectrum powertrain strategy:
“Real users have real needs shaped by geography, policy, culture, and infrastructure.”
For his part, Chief Engineer for Hybrid Systems, Richard Zhu emphasized the company’s adherence to global standards which is now giving GWM a global footprint.
” At GWM we build on standards and dimensions that ensure safety and reliability,” he said.
Speaking on the sidelines, Yang Yang, CEO of Zonda Tec Ghana Limited, said the TANK 700 already unveiled in Ghana has been well received, adding that she personally advocated for Ghana to remain a priority market.
“I had to convince senior officials that Ghana deserved to be among the first countries for the TANK 700 rollout,” she said. “The market is ready, the enthusiasm is real, and we are committed to ensuring Ghana continues to receive the very best of GWM’s offerings.”
She added that the company will deepen technical support, after-sales service, and product availability to strengthen GWM’s footprint in West Africa.
Gracing the event ,the Group CEO of Saeed Juma Al Naboodah,Medhat Shoukry commended GWM for the innovation.
” Our partnership with GWM has been keen to this achievement built on trust shared goals which exceeds expectations. I am excited for what the future holds ,” he said.
The Tank 700 is a full-size SUV from Great Wall Motors, introduced under the Tank sub-brand. Designed to blend rugged off-road performance with high-end luxury, it targets consumers seeking adventure and refinement. Positioned as a luxury off-roading vehicle, it competes with premium models like the Toyota Land Cruiser and Ford Bronco.