The Dubai International Motor Show, now undoubtedly among the best of its kind in the word, is all set to break exciting new ground with one of the finest displays of automotive excellence ever seen.
Spurred on and inspired by record GCC car sales of 1.88million this year, the 13th edition of the show looks certain to be the best and most interactive in its history.
It is certainly the biggest ever with demand for floor space resulting in the show expanding into the Dubai World Trade Centre’s Zabeel Halls with more than 600 vehicles on display over an area of 85,000 square metres.
– Car of the week: October 29 – Toyota Land Cruiser Prado VXR
– Car of the week: October 22 – Volvo V60 Polestar
That makes the show 30 per cent bigger than last year and there will be more than 150 exhibitors with newcomers from Australia, Lebanon, the Netherlands and Russia taking part.
Organisers are expecting more than 100,000 visitors from 37 countries to pass through its doors over the five days the show is open.
The popularity of the show, held every two years, is a reflection of the fertile trading conditions in the Middle East where the new car market is expected to grow twice as fast in comparison to North America and Western Europe by 2022.
That confidence has inspired a record number of launches with 18 global debuts and 139 regional firsts involving Cadillac, Aston Martin, McLaren, Nissan, Toyota, Audi, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Ferrari, Ford, Infiniti and Jaguar among others.
And it’s not just the cars that will impress visitors with motorcycles, light commercial vehicles, tuning, customising and aftermarket sectors represented.
There is also the chance to look back at some truly magnificent vehicles in the all-new Motoring Nostalgia Museum featuring some of the world’s most desirable and collectible cars from the 1950s to the 1980s.
The cars, loaned by collectors like Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Tomini Classics, Sharjah Museum and the Al Ain Classics collection and owners from the Dubai Grand Parade include a 1965 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, an original Land Rover, a 1955 300SL Gullwing Mercedes, a 1974 Ferrari Dino and a 1988 Porsche 959. They will be on display in Zabeel 1 Hall.
Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions and Events Management, Dubai World Trade Centre said: “The interest in new cars that’s spurring on this growth is not just confined to the luxury and sports segments which have always been popular in this region but also in the light vehicle category which rose by 14 per cent last year fuelled by strong sales across the GCC.
There will be pulsating moments in the show with the action packed activities by Jaguar and others which is part of our efforts to make it more than just a car show. It will be a very exciting five days.”
The show will again feature the Dubai Distinctive Plates public auction by the RTA on Saturday from 16:00 in the Al Multaqua Ballroom in the World Trade Centre. There will be 110 plate numbers up for grabs for cars, motorcyles and classic vehicles.
There are currently one and a half million cars registered with the RTA in Dubai which represents about a five per cent growth up to September but is expected to rise by around nine per cent by the end of the year.
New technology and interactivity are a major feature of this year’s show with Toyota, Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, Hyundai, SAIC and Ford involving visitors.
Bruce Robertson, MD for Jaguar Land Rover MENA, said: “For the first time for us and the Dubai International Motor Show we are bringing the Land Rover experience that allows our customers and future clients to experience our products in dynamic and static environments.
“We have a number of exciting products at the show this year. We are going to be showing the Jaguar F-PACE, our new car, for the first time in the region. It’s a vehicle that we recently showed at Frankfurt and is really relevant to this part of the world.
"There will also be the Range Rover SV Autobiography. This is the ultimate Range Rover is terms of luxury and performance.”
Jaguar are also supporting the Bloodhound SSC attempt on the land speed record later in the year and have a simulator at the show that will allow visitors to experience what it is like to drive at 1000mph, yes you read that right!
The show is open from 18:00 to 22:00 today; 11:00 to 22:00 tomorrow; 11:00 to 23:00 on November 12 and 13; and from 11:00 to 22:00 on November 14.
Prices are Dh65 for single-day entry, with children under 12 entering free.
Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. For more information visit the show’s website at: www.dubaimotorshow.com
