Sustainable freight can deliver major CO₂ cuts across the GCC by 2035, says PwC Middle East report

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. Decarbonising heavy transport is critical to achieving net zero; without action, rising logistics emissions could offset broader climate progress. 

PwC Middle East research shows that with strong government action, including policy, regulation and incentives, emissions could fall by 4.7% by 2035, while in a business-as-usual scenario, emissions drop just 1.3%.  

Decisive policies are, therefore, essential to delivering meaningful climate outcomes. The transition to battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks presents both challenge and opportunity, offering the region a path to cut emissions while driving industrial innovation and economic diversification in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and the UAE Net Zero 2050 strategy.
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. What is needed now is confident and future-focused coordinated action. This is not only about reducing emissions, but also about building a road freight system that is more efficient, more resilient, and ready for the next generation of growth.”

The report was developed in collaboration with TruKKer, the digital freight platform who's subsidiary ATOMIX provides operational insights from electric truck pilot deployments across the region. It presents lessons learned from early adoption, identifies international best practices, and sets out recommendations for scaling both battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

The report calls for a coordinated regional approach across regulation, financing, energy strategy and infrastructure to ensure the transition to sustainable trucking is both feasible and commercially viable. Clear regulations and subsidies can spark early demand, strong grid and charging networks will enable operations, cost optimisation through renewable integration will make fleets viable and localised solutions will ensure technology works in the region’s unique climate and logistics environment.