During the 2026 goodwood Festival of Speed, British premium brand Freelander announced the UAE as its first international market at an industry exchange event hosted by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) at The Orangery. FREELANDER also confirmed that its International Brand Launch is scheduled for September in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This marks another significant milestone in the brand’s global expansion strategy.
As one of the world’s most influential celebrations of automotive culture, the Goodwood Festival of Speed gathers global automotive brands, industry leaders, and innovative enterprises each year. During the event, ADIO hosted a series of industry exchange sessions at The Orangery, focusing on topics including automotive industry globalization, international market development, and cross-regional collaboration. FREELANDER was invited to participate in the dialogue and share its vision for global expansion.
Being at Goodwood also brought FREELANDER back to its British roots. With nearly three decades of heritage, FREELANDER has evolved from a classic nameplate into a fully independent global brand. Reshaped through four core transformations in design, technology, organization, and intelligent manufacturing, FREELANDER is opening a new chapter of global growth powered by a renewed brand identity, its global operating capabilities, and advanced intelligent technologies.
The UAE was selected as FREELANDER’s first international market based on its strategic location, innovation-friendly business environment, strong appetite for intelligent mobility solutions and long–term commitment to new energy development, which provides a solid foundation for the brand’s regional growth.
As a key practice of its globalization strategy, FREELANDER continues to drive product innovation tailored to regional market needs. In particular, the SIVP (Super Intelligent Valet Parking) system, making its global debut this year, is a prime example of how FREELANDER continuously optimizes the intelligent mobility experience for real-world user scenarios, such as high-temperature environments in the UAE.
During the event, Lucia Mao, CEO of FREELANDER International, shared the brand’s philosophy on global development in a fireside chat titled “From Entry to Commitment.” She stated: “International expansion goes beyond entering a new market. It is about making a long-term commitment.” She emphasized: “The UAE marks the starting point of FREELANDER’s global expansion and is a strategically important market where we will put down roots and invest for the long term, together with our partners.”
The exchange at Goodwood not only marks a new phase in FREELANDER’s global strategy but also demonstrates its long-term commitment and deep engagement in international markets. Moving forward, FREELANDER will continue to leverage its British premium brand heritage, global operational system, and intelligent technology innovation capabilities to advance its local presence across international markets, strengthen partnerships worldwide, and advance its long-term global expansion ambitions.