British car rental technology platform Final Rentals has announced a major expansion of its Gulf operations through a strategic partnership with Autorent, one of the region's largest vehicle rental and leasing operators.
The agreement marks a significant milestone for the Cardiff-headquartered company, which launched its first operations in the United Arab Emirates in 2021 and has since grown into a platform serving customers in more than 65 countries.
Under the partnership, Final Rentals will gain access to Autorent’s fleet of more than 13,000 vehicles operating across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman, strengthening its presence in a region that played a key role in the company's early growth.
The move comes amid growing economic ties between the United Kingdom and Gulf countries, with negotiations continuing on a proposed UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement aimed at boosting trade and investment flows between the two regions.
Final Rentals said demand for its platform has risen sharply over the past four years. The company handled just 1,900 bookings in 2021, its first year of operation in the UAE. By 2025, annual bookings had exceeded 139,000, representing growth of almost 73 times in four years.
The momentum has continued into 2026. The company recorded 148,065 bookings during the first five months of the year alone, already surpassing its total bookings for the whole of 2024.
Founded in Wales in 2016, Final Rentals operates a digital marketplace that connects travellers with local car rental providers. The platform currently serves customers across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North and South America.
Chief Executive Ammar Akhtar said the UAE remained central to the company's growth story. "The UAE is where Final Rentals started. Almost all of our earliest bookings came from this market, and many of the lessons that shaped our technology and business model were learned here," he said.
"Returning to expand our Gulf operations is both a strategic and symbolic step for the company. We are coming back with a much larger international network and significantly greater scale than when we began."
Autorent, formally known as Elegant Enterprises & Car Services, operates from more than 16 locations across 12 cities in the Gulf region and provides vehicle rental, leasing and mobility services to both individual and corporate customers.
Mohammad Anees of Autorent said the partnership would help accelerate the company's digital transformation strategy and improve customer access to vehicles through integrated booking technology. – TradeArabia News Service
