Seez deal sharpens vehicle value forecasts

Dubai’s automotive data market is moving deeper into predictive intelligence after Seez entered a strategic collaboration with AutoData Middle East to strengthen vehicle valuation and market analytics across the region.

The agreement brings Seez’s artificial intelligence models into AutoData Analytics, with an immediate focus on the platform’s Future Residual Value module. The integration is intended to improve projections of how vehicles retain value over time, giving manufacturers, dealers, leasing companies, financiers, insurers and fleet operators a more precise basis for pricing, stocking and investment decisions.

Residual value forecasting has become a central issue for the Gulf’s automotive sector as new vehicle supply expands, electric models gain visibility, Chinese brands increase competition and used-car buyers become more price-sensitive. A small misreading of depreciation can affect lease pricing, fleet disposal margins, loan underwriting and dealer profitability. The Seez-AutoData collaboration is positioned as a response to that pressure, combining large market datasets with AI-led modelling designed to detect patterns that traditional valuation methods may miss.

AutoData Middle East, part of World Automotive Group, has built its position around vehicle specifications, history, pricing and market intelligence. Its AutoData Analytics platform was developed to give automotive businesses a unified view of residual values, depreciation, price trends, inventory movement, market reports and demand signals. The company says the platform is designed for GCC conditions, where vehicle values are shaped by brand perception, warranty coverage, import specifications, mileage, climate exposure, finance costs and cross-border resale demand.

Seez brings a different but complementary layer. Founded in Dubai in 2016 by Tarek Kabrit and Andrew Kabrit, the company began as a consumer-facing car discovery app before shifting into automotive software for dealers and original equipment manufacturers. Its products now cover AI-powered sales assistance, digital retail tools, lead generation, omnichannel customer engagement and dealership automation. Pinewood Technologies Group completed its acquisition of Seez in March 2025, placing the company’s AI capability inside a wider automotive retail software ecosystem.

The partnership gives AutoData access to models trained around vehicle behaviour, digital engagement and market movement, while Seez gains a stronger regional data channel for its automotive AI applications. The collaboration is expected to support more granular forecasts across makes, models, trims and usage profiles, rather than relying mainly on broad segment averages or historic price curves.

For dealers, stronger future value estimates can influence stock acquisition and retail pricing. Fast-moving models can be identified earlier, while vehicles at risk of sharper depreciation can be priced more defensively. For leasing and finance providers, improved residual value estimates can reduce exposure at contract maturity, particularly in categories where resale prices are shifting quickly. Insurers may also benefit from more accurate vehicle valuation when pricing policies or assessing total-loss settlements.

The timing is significant. The UAE used-car market has continued to mature as organised dealerships, digital marketplaces, certified pre-owned programmes and vehicle-history tools compete with informal sales channels. Market estimates vary, but most point to steady expansion through the end of the decade, supported by population growth, high vehicle turnover, tourism-linked demand, fleet replacement cycles and consumers seeking lower-cost alternatives to new cars.

Yet the same market has become harder to read. New-car availability has improved after the supply constraints seen earlier in the decade, putting pressure on some used-car prices. Chinese manufacturers have widened consumer choice, particularly in SUVs and electric vehicles, while legacy brands remain influential in resale-value perception. EV depreciation is also being watched closely as battery health, charging infrastructure, warranty transferability and technology upgrades become more important to buyers.

Against that backdrop, the collaboration reflects a broader shift in the automotive industry from static valuation tables to live decision-support systems. Data providers are no longer competing only on the size of their databases; they are increasingly judged by the quality of their predictive tools, the speed of their updates and their ability to translate complex market signals into usable decisions.

AutoData’s existing modules already cover residual values, price trends, market days supply, inventory heatmaps and vehicle comparisons. Adding Seez’s AI capability is expected to sharpen the predictive side of that platform, especially in forward-looking depreciation analysis. The value of the integration will depend on data depth, model transparency, update frequency and the ability to reflect local market realities rather than applying generic global assumptions.