| 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.
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