| The
Dubai Motor Show organised by the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) is ranked among
the top 10 automotive exhibitions in terms of number and quality of exhibitors
and visitors and the quality of organisation. This year the visitor turnout at
the Show exceeded 41,200, including a large number of VIPs, members of the Royal
Families and top ranking government officials from the Gulf region. It also attracted
a large number of overseas visitors from Europe and the neighbouring region, including
Iran and the Indian Subcontinent. "The
visitor turnout exceeded our expectations and the exhibitor feedback indicates
that most of our exhibitors had a successful show and have committed to return
to the show in 2003," said Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Corporate Manager - Exhibitions,
DWTC. The
responses from the world's leading automobile manufacturers present at the event
indicate that they were happy about the quality of visitors. "This year the
Middle East International Motor Show has been the most successful for the BMW
Group in terms of enquiries and the number of orders received for all our 2002
models, especially the totally re-designed flagship BMW 7 Series model and the
all-new MINI Cooper. Our stand was filled to capacity on the opening day of the
show, and customers were pressing us to accept deposits on cars immediately. We
had some visitors offer us twice as much for the 7-Series models that are on display,"
said Mr. Robert Bailey-McEwan, Managing Director, BMW Group Middle East. Some
40 leading vehicle manufacturers participated at the Motor Show along with more
than 200 automobile parts and accessories manufacturers from around the world.
Some of the well-know brands represented at the exhibition included Toyota, BMW,
Mercedes, Jeep, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Porsche, Volvo, Volkswagen, Audi,
General Motors, Nissan, Skoda, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Hyundai, Pirelli and Bridgestone. "The
Dubai Motor Show this year has been the biggest and the best for General Motors.
With a stand covering more than 2,100 square metres we have been able to present
the entire range of our latest models to the Middle East region. The increased
size of our presence at the show underlines our commitment to the success of the
show and the continued confidence in the UAE and regional markets," said
Paul Johnson, Regional Director, General Motors. DaimlerChrysler,
which exhibited some of its breath-taking models including the SL 500 roadster,
S 63 AMG, Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge, attracted big crowd to its stand. "DaimlerChrysler
Middle East is delighted to once again be participating at the 6th Middle East
International Motor Show. We feel that the Motor Show is constantly improving
in terms of being a very professionally organised event. The Middle East is an
extremely important market for us and we invest well in presenting our products
at each and every Motor Show in this region. We can also see that the other automotive
manufacturers share our view in the way they have invested in their stands and
have presented their products at this year's Motor Show. We look forward to participating
at the next Middle East Motor Show in 2003," said Per V. Rasmussen, President
and CEO, DaimlerChrysler Middle East. The
Land Rover with its innovative outdoor stand, which featured a rock-climbing wall,
attracted a lot of attention and participation. "People enjoyed the outdoor
design which, of course, is the natural habitat of the Land Rover brand. The Dubai
Motor Show is an important event for the auto industry in the Middle East and
we felt exhibitors and visitors were positive and supportive of the show,"
said Matt McClurg, Marketing Manager, Land Rover Middle East & Africa. The
Dubai-based Future Motors presented a number of exquisitely designed cars from
companies including Herbert Hartage GmbH & Co, Carlsson Autotechnik GmbH and
TechArt Automobildesign GmbH and Pagani at the Motor Show. Four
well-known car tuning and design companies present at the show included the Switzerland-based,
Fab Design which specialises in high end Mercedes models, Hamann, a German company
that specialises in tuning BMW and Ferrari cars, 962 Derek Bell, which designs
sports models on Porsche platforms and Brabus, the exclusive Mercedes tuner from
Germany. "There is a big market for specially designed and tuned cars in
the Middle East. We are exhibiting at the Motor Show for the first time and have
received a large number of genuine enquiries," said R Rysanek, president
and designer of Fab Design. Motor
Parts & Accessories 2001, the parts and accessories segment of the show attracted
participation from the world's leading automobile parts & accessories manufacturers,
including tyre companies and in-car entertainment equipment manufacturers and
auto industry consultants. "Dubai hosts one of the most prominent Motor Shows
in the region, and we feel it is the ideal platform to introduce to the automotive
industry the many innovative solutions we are developing," said Abdulla Al
Ghandi, Chairman, Amautage Automotive, a Dubai-based automobile industry consultant,
who offers a comprehensive suite of integrated products and business solutions
for the global automotive industry. |
