| 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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