Sustainable Freight Can Deliver Major CO2 Cuts Across GCC By 2035

Doha, Qatar: PwC Middle East has published a new report titled 'Driving change – the future of sustainable heavy-duty trucks in the Middle East', exploring the potential for decarbonising the regional road freight sector and highlighting both opportunities and challenges of scaling zero-emission trucks.

The report indicates that without incentives, emissions from new truck sales could exceed 54 million tonnes of CO2 by 2035, but accelerated electrification - combined with cleaner fuels and modal shifts - could cut this by 4.7%.

PwC research across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar also finds that electric heavy-duty truck availability in the GCC remains limited, with 70% fewer models than in Europe, underscoring the urgent need to expand supply and attract manufacturers to the region.

Transport generates around a quarter of global carbon emissions, with medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHCVs) responsible for 40% due to their reliance on diesel and intensive road use. In the Middle East, the urgency is greater, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia setting ambitious electrification and clean transport targets that make sustainable road freight a strategic necessity.

Heiko Seitz, Global Transport and Logistics Leader, PwC Middle East, said:“With smarter policy, investment and the right incentives, zero-emission trucks can soon outpace their combustion-engine counterparts not just environmentally but commercially. The GCC has everything it needs to lead this transition, including a fast-growing clean energy base, a strong logistics backbone, and the ambition to drive change."

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