Chinese firms dominate the exhibitor list this year, with 44 companies from eight provinces taking part. Six UAE-based firms and one Jordanian company round out the roster, covering products from across the automotive supply chain.

Full supply chain on show

Exhibitors are bringing passenger and truck tyres, alloy wheels, braking systems and engine components to the floor, alongside commercial vehicle parts, automotive electronics and complete vehicles. The spread reflects how far the show has grown beyond its original tyre-and-parts focus since it launched in 2022.

Organisers say hosting the event in Sharjah reflects the emirate's expanding role on the region's trade exhibition circuit, giving manufacturers, suppliers and investors a single venue to strike deals and reach buyers across the UAE and wider Middle East.

Shandong takes centre stage

Day two of the show will bring a dedicated Shandong-focused programme, "Shandong Quality to the World", pairing a promotional conference on the province's auto and parts industry with a matchmaking session aimed at precision supply chains. Around 100 international business figures and automotive specialists are expected to attend, with the day built around direct meetings between Chinese firms and exhibitors already on site.

The event falls under Shandong's "One Industry, One Policy" foreign trade programme, which the province's commerce department has built specifically around the automotive and spare parts sector to widen partnership channels with UAE and regional companies.

Trade ties keep building

METAS 2026 lands against a backdrop of deepening UAE-China economic ties, with organisers pointing to the role specialised exhibitions play in turning trade relationships into concrete investment and partnership opportunities — reinforcing Sharjah's position as a regional hub for exhibitions, conferences and business gatherings.

The show returns to Sharjah in 2027. Before then, a delegation of automotive business leaders from Sharjah and the wider UAE will travel to Shandong province in September for factory visits and talks aimed at expanding economic and trade cooperation between the two sides.