The brand names of the cars sweeping by on Beijing's second ring road in the autumn sunshine are familiar all over the world - Volkswagen, Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota.
For all the ambitions of China's vehicle makers, the dragon economy's car industry remains dominated by foreign names, even if most of the vehicles are locally made through joint ventures.
With the lorries that are allowed to prowl through the city only at night, things could not be more different: more than 95 per cent of commercial vehicles sold in China are made by Chinese companies such as FAW, Foton, Dongfeng and Sinotruk.
Nine of the top 10 commercial vehicle sellers are home-grown with just one foreign name, Italy's Iveco, making it on to the chart through a joint venture. It is a similar story, albeit with different names, in some other major developing economies, such as India.
"Trucks packed with the kind of technology found in Europe are nearly impossible to sell in the up-and-coming markets of the East," said the analysis company AlixPartners in a recent commercial vehicle industry report summary.
The trump card for China's lorries is simple. They may not be advanced, much of the technology was bought from western makers more than 20 years ago, and they may not meet the emissions standards of developed countries. But they are cheap.
AlixPartners indicated Chinese manufacturers were making vehicles for half the cost of their European or North American rivals.
"The growth markets have very little need for the high-tech trucks made in Europe; trucks that can be operational around the clock and meet the highest safety requirements," the report quotes Vinzenz Schwegmann, a managing director at AlixPartners, as saying.
"What matters most is to manufacture reasonably priced vehicles with specifications tailored to the region involved."
Lorry buyers in China are mostly individuals who drive their own vehicles, says John Zeng, the director of Asia vehicle forecasting at JD Power and Associates in Shanghai.
Even the large logistics companies tend to hire private operators with their own vehicles. For such owner-drivers, price is key.
"For one Volvo, you can buy three local trucks and it's much more difficult to get your [foreign] truck maintained if you have a problem," Mr Zeng says.
"The durability is quite good. The Chinese-made local trucks, you can overload them. That's what drivers are looking for."
With the car industry, consumers are more heavily motivated by brand names and the most respected are foreign. Local brands tend to be cheaper but most drivers believe a better made, foreign-designed vehicle is worth the money for its prestige and quality.
"Most Chinese buyers care about their car's social status. It's about 'face'," Mr Zeng says.
Given that the cache of an overseas name counts for little in China's no-frills world of lorries, it is no surprise that foreign companies' attempts to break into the market have faltered.
In 2004, Volvo launched a joint venture with Sinotruk to produce the Swedish maker's lorries in China. But sales were poor and technical collaborations between the partners were limited as parts were imported from Europe.
It came as little surprise when the joint venture, supposed to last for 30 years, wound up last year.
Missing out on China is a major loss for the foreign lorry makers, since the market is vast and growing at a pace the West can only dream of.
In 2008, global lorry production reached 2.6 million before the global slump caused it to plunge to 1.7 million last year.
While demand and production dropped in Europe and North America last year, China increased the number of lorries it made by more than one fifth, producing about half of the world's total.
In the first half of this year the number of lorries rolling off China's production lines increased by a further three quarters, and by the end of the year the total is expected to reach 1 million.
Just as foreign manufacturers are struggling to make inroads into the Chinese market, they are being overtaken by Chinese-made lorries in many emerging markets, particularly Africa and South East Asia. Again, price is the main factor.
"Sales of Chinese trucks … are continuously strengthening in Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia," AlixPartners said.
The European producers are increasing their sales in some emerging markets as overall demand increases but their market share is declining.
In the first six months of this year, China exported 134,000 commercial vehicles, up 25 per cent on the same period last year. China's car makers saw their exports drop, with numbers falling 46 per cent last year to 369,600 compared with the previous year.
"The Chinese truck makers meet the basic standards of the developing countries and, in terms of cost, Chinese trucks are very competitive in these markets," says Mr Zeng.
The headaches for the western manufacturers may eventually extend beyond the lower-value end of the global lorry market.
Some observers have suggested the huge growth in sales at home and abroad would allow the Chinese manufacturers to invest in research and development with a view to competing with their western rivals at the top end of the value range, including in North America and Europe.
Some of China's lorry makers are also leveraging joint ventures with overseas manufacturers to gain access to advanced technology, just as Chinese car makers have done.
This will prove particularly useful as emissions regulations tighten in China and other developing markets and the earlier generation of less eco-friendly vehicles is phased out.
When his company signed a 50-50 joint-venture agreement this year with Daimler, the world's biggest lorry maker, the chief executive and president of Foton Motor Wang Jingyu was clear about what his side could gain.
"We plan to use Daimler Trucks's technological expertise in particular to further expand our commercial vehicle activities," Mr Wang said.
As they have little hope of beating the Chinese in their home country or in other emerging markets, some western manufacturers have decided the best strategy is to acquire stakes in their price-cutting rivals.
Midway through last year, the German-based lorry maker MAN bought a 25 per cent share in Sinotruk. The agreement allows Sinotruk to use MAN technology, which will come in useful as the Chinese manufacturer looks to improve its offering in developing markets.
From MAN's point of view, it means - for once - the company will no longer have to look on in horror as a Chinese lorry maker sees its sales figures go off the chart at home and all over the developing world.
business@thenational.ae
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Godzilla%20x%20Kong%3A%20The%20New%20Empire
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAdam%20Wingard%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBrian%20Tyree%20Henry%2C%20Rebecca%20Hall%2C%20Dan%20Stevens%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clinicy%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Prince%20Mohammed%20Bin%20Abdulrahman%2C%20Abdullah%20bin%20Sulaiman%20Alobaid%20and%20Saud%20bin%20Sulaiman%20Alobaid%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Riyadh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2025%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20More%20than%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Middle%20East%20Venture%20Partners%2C%20Gate%20Capital%2C%20Kafou%20Group%20and%20Fadeed%20Investment%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
FINAL SCORES
Fujairah 130 for 8 in 20 overs
(Sandy Sandeep 29, Hamdan Tahir 26 no, Umair Ali 2-15)
Sharjah 131 for 8 in 19.3 overs
(Kashif Daud 51, Umair Ali 20, Rohan Mustafa 2-17, Sabir Rao 2-26)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
GYAN’S ASIAN OUTPUT
2011-2015: Al Ain – 123 apps, 128 goals
2015-2017: Shanghai SIPG – 20 apps, 7 goals
2016-2017: Al Ahli (loan) – 25 apps, 11 goals
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
Kill%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nikhil%20Nagesh%20Bhat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Lakshya%2C%20Tanya%20Maniktala%2C%20Ashish%20Vidyarthi%2C%20Harsh%20Chhaya%2C%20Raghav%20Juyal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
