Jeddah motor show benefiting from economic optimism

On behalf of Minister of Transport Jabara Al-Seraisry, Muffareh Al-Zahrani, general manager, Ministry of Transport, Western Region, will open the five-day Saudi International Motor Show (SIMS) at Jeddah Centre for Forums & Events at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Saudi Arabia's 33rd International Event for motor vehicles, SUVs and motorcycles, is being held with the support of the Ministry of Transport, concurrently with autocare — Saudi Arabia's international event for auto parts, accessories and garage equipment. Major automobile agents, dealers and brands are taking part in SIMS, with most of them organizing launch-and-reveal events for their new 2012 cars. Among them are Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, Citroen, Suzuki, Toyota, Prestige Motor World, and Chinese brands including Geely, BYD and Lifan. Riyad Bank is the main sponsor of the Saudi motor show. "Continuing its tradition, the 33rd edition of SIMS, which will continue till Nov. 23, is showcasing a range of vehicles from leading manufacturers of the world," Zahoor Siddique, vice president exhibitions at Al-Harithy Company for Exhibitions, which is organizing the event, said. "Car enthusiasts will be catered to by two segregated sections of after sales autocare, a trade section alone for businessmen, traders and distributors, and a public section for those car buffs that are looking for what is new in the automotive gadgetry," he added. In spite of the US facing its worst economic slow-down and the euro zone seeped deep in debt crisis, the Saudi economy is not only looking up but also thriving. This has given a new fillip to the Saudi car market at a time when the auto sector in the Western world is affected, he said. The Saudi market has avoided many of the economic issues, which have affected other important markets around the world. While some of the neighboring Gulf countries have suffered from their own crisis, the Saudi government has mobilized its financial resources to ensure that economic growth continued, according to a major automobile dealer in the Kingdom. "The Saudi market is continuing to expand as rising incomes lead consumers to purchase more cars for their families, a trend which is particularly good for the small car market, which has grown markedly over the past year," he added. Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East in terms of population and has the largest vehicle market. Each well-to-do urban Saudi household owns an average of two to four cars. Across the Kingdom, every household has on average one passenger vehicle, whether in small towns or villages. The show timings are daily 5 p.m.—10 p.m.