The UAE may have a love affair with the 4x4, but that will change in the coming years as driving an environmentally-friendly car becomes a more attractive option, say experts at a car exhibition.

 

Held on Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard in Dubai, the exhibition featured about 25 hybrid and electric vehicles either being sold in the country or those that have already been adopted by government agencies.

 

For institutions across the UAE, these vehicles are the means to showcase their environmentally-friendly credentials, but the vehicles could become a common sight in coming years, according to Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah al Thani, a Sharjah-based member of the Qatari royal family.

 

“Many federal institutions all across the Emirates are already adopting hybrid or electric cars,” he said.

 

“Most gas stations are already having charging points within them for electric vehicles. Within the next three to five years I expect there will be a huge shift here. There will be more green and more hybrid cars.

 

“There’s a huge responsibility from manufacturers themselves. In addition, the people from the UAE are becoming wiser about becoming green.”

 

The stationary, open-air Dubai Green Auto Show will run until next Thursday. It is part of the UAE Green Festival, which runs for a month, until April 16 and features green innovation in areas as diverse as fashion and organic foods.