The Abu Dhabi International Motor Show 2008 beats expectations with satisfied exhibitors and high visitor turnout during the five-day show.
“We received an excellent response to the Abu Dhabi International Motor Show, as reflected in the 48,567 visitors at the show as well as happy exhibitors. Our ticket sales far exceeded the 2006 edition by 250 percent,” said Ara Fernezian, Group Exhibition Director of Reed Exhibitions Middle East.
This year’s largest and most comprehensive motor show in the Middle East was under the patronage of His Highness Lt. Gen. Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Interior. It was held in December 17-21, 2008 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
Exhibitors were very pleased with the number of visitors and quality of customers that came to their stands. “The Abu Dhabi International Motor Show is projected to become a Class B event at a regional level. Car manufacturers will see the show as the ideal platform to make regional launches and premiers,” said Ahmed Abdullatif, General Manager of Renault.
Khaled Ishaq, Senior Manager-Premium Brands, Liberty Automobiles of General Motors stated: “The turnout was outstanding. There was a healthy traffic on our stand and we have a good volume of reservations. We expect to see them again at our showrooms in Abu Dhabi.”
“This is the first time we participated at the Motor Show and we had a great five days. This opportunity of being part with the market is effective and promising,” Adi Al Bitar, B2C Marketing Manager of Shell Lubricants commented.
Noting that this is the first time they exhibited, Andrew Wagner, General Manager of Enviro Motion remarked: “It is a great show. The public had been very interested in our products and we had a very strong interaction. We’re very happy; the show has worked very well for us.”
Abdulla Al Romaithi, Managing Director of Sand Motec said: “I have printed out more than 10,000 giveaways and all of them were gone. The visitors at our stand were more than what I expected, considering that we are situated at the corner.”
Organized by Reed Exhibitions Middle East, the Abu Dhabi International Motor Show 2008 occupied 38,000 sqm of indoor and outdoor exhibit space at ADNEC.
80 exhibitors showcased 50 brands of luxury cars, high performance cars, custom-built cars, executive saloons, concept and hybrid cars, sports cars, off-road vehicles, family cars and SUVs, motorcycles and quad bikes. Commercial vehicles such as trucks and pickups, vans and mini buses, luxury coaches, limousines and trailers and campers were also displayed. In addition, the show also featured car automotive accessories and auto-related services.
The Motor Show, which featured an incredible array of 400 latest models from over 30 global vehicle manufacturers, has seen 19 Middle East launches. They include Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder; Koleos, Laguna Coupe, Symbol and Logan from Renault; GMC Denali; Chevrolet Malibu and Cruze; Cadillac CTSV 4 and Escalade; Hummer HRT; Dodge Challenger SRT8; Lexus Rx350; Toyota Sequoia; Mitsubishi ‘I’; Skoda Octavia; Hyundai Coupe Genesis and Ford Fiesta.
Other exhibits at the show included the Ultimate Aero, the first ever production model of the Shelby Super Car and Concept Cars such as the S400 Hybrid from Mercedes, Laguna Coupe from Renault, Lexus LF-A, Mitsubishi CX and Toyota ABat. Renault and Ferrari also displayed their affiliated F1 cars at the show.
Several co-located events and promotions also took place. Emirates Motor Company (EMC) offered a Mercedes test drive to visitors at the show. Al Hilal Bank unveiled its auto finance offers with instant approvals for those who purchased cars at the show. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior and Abu Dhabi police had organised a number of interactive activities that emphasized road safety awareness at the Motor Show.
Raffle draws included a grand prize of LR2 by Land Rover, two pair of tickets to the Abu Dhabi F1 race by Renault; two airline tickets by Etihad Airways and a host of prizes such as Nokia phones and free stays at luxury hotels in the UAE were offered by Sony Playstation, Ford and Foilacar Europe. ENOC and Etisalat also hosted a range of activities at their stands with exciting prizes.
The Motor Show has attracted about 49,000 auto enthusiasts, industry professionals and spectators from the UAE and across the region.
“The show was very good. What I particularly liked about it was the accessibility of the cars on display which is unusual with motor shows of this calibre. There was a large variety of cars, from luxury to affordable ones. I can say that the quality of the show is the same as any other European motor shows,” commended Thomas Ulherr, a German national.
