Expansive growth of Dubai International Motor Show reflected in booming Middle East automotive industry

The Middle East’s love for all things automotive shows no sign of slowing down with booming car sales across the region also reflected in the rapid growth and global interest in this year’s Dubai International Motor Show (DIMS), which returns in November.

Underlining its position as the largest international automotive event in the Middle East, organisers of the 13th Dubai International Motor Show have received unprecedented interest from the leading names in the automotive world, as well as an influx of new exhibitors resulting in a 23% expansion in floor space. The show will expand into the Dubai World Trade Centre’s Zabeel Halls, taking total floor space out to 80,000 square metres to meet the keen interest of new manufacturers and exhibitors wishing to attend.

Running from November 10 – 14, amid a thriving automotive landscape with record sales, the show will not only showcase the newest car models but also motorcycles, light commercial vehicles and the tuning and aftermarket sectors. 

Held every two years, the Dubai International Motor Show is the main highlight of the Dubai Motor Festival, which is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. The Dubai Motor Festival is organized by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), and builds on the widespread passion of all motor related sports across the region. 

The demand from manufacturers for this year’s show is in line with the growth curve of vehicle sales throughout the region which reached 16.7% in the UAE in 2013, according to BMI Research, and looks set to top 425,000 vehicles sold by the end of this year, representing a further 5.1% growth.

Leading the charge for increased floor space is General Motors’ luxury arm, Cadillac, which has boosted its presence by 70%, while both McLaren and Lamborghini return 50% larger, and Jaguar will increase its space by up to 44%. Mazda is taking 40% more floor space, Porsche grows by 35% and Lincoln is expanding by an additional 28%.

Organisers expect more than 100,000 visitors to attend over the five days to see and experience a raft of global and regional launches presented by leading automotive companies and brands.

“We are thrilled to be part of the 13th edition of the Dubai International Motor Show. As the region’s most high-profile motoring event, the show provides the perfect platform for us to reveal the latest BMW and MINI models to motoring enthusiasts. This year’s show will be a particularly important one in terms of BMW’s involvement as we showcase the sixth generation BMW 7 Series and all-new MINI Clubman, amongst a host of other interesting models from all BMW Group brands,” said Osman Abdelmoneim, General Manager of AGMC.

Samir Cherfan, Managing Director at Nissan Middle East commented: "The Dubai International Motor Show is the largest and most prestigious event for auto industry in the Middle East. With a significant presence planned for the 2015 show, we will use the event as a platform to present our full range and provide a first look at some exciting new models, which will be revealed for the first time to the public. At Nissan we instill Innovation that Excites in everything that we do – Dubai International Motor Show will be the perfect opportunity for us to showcase this to visitors of the motor show."

Bruce Robertson, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover MENA, said: “Jaguar Land Rover has had a long standing and successful presence in the Middle East and North Africa, a region which has maintained its position as our company’s fourth largest market globally. Strategically, MENA is of key importance to the overall business and platforms such as the Dubai International Motor Show are integral to building greater awareness for future growth by allowing us to showcase our products to both new and existing customers in the region and internationally.”

He continued: “We are proud to be here once again to showcase some of the best JLR engineering technology across our broad range of vehicles, from the two-seater sports Jaguar F-TYPE to the world’s most refined and luxurious SUV, the Range Rover. We are confident that visitors will be thrilled with the vehicles we have on display including the latest Jaguar saloons, the Jaguar XE, and the all-new Jaguar XF  and of course we have some exciting regional launches and concept vehicles from both Jaguar and Land Rover planned for the show this year - so watch this space.”

Dubai International Motor Show features

Visitors can expect to see a host of new manufacturers displaying their wares in Dubai for the first time with the likes of supercar manufacturer Top Car, supercar constructors Panoz joining bespoke custom GT builders David Brown and the Alvis Car Company. They will be joined at the affordable end of the market by Chinese newcomer SAIC.  

Dubai is the global hub for top shelf supercars which is reflected in the number of high-end exotics that are not only displayed but more importantly - and unlike most other shows in the world - are sold straight from the floor.

Prizes, competitions and extensive social media interaction will ensure nonstop entertainment for visitors across the duration of the show. 

Additionally, this year’s Dubai International Motor Show will feature light commercial vehicles, a dedicated section for motor bikes, trikes and quad bikes as well as tuning, aftermarket parts and accessories with the automotive finance and insurance industry also being represented.

According to Dubai Customs, the Emirate’s trade for auto parts and accessories was valued at Dh44.37 billion (US$ 12 billion) in 2014, a 10% increase over the previous year, while imports of the Emirate's automotive aftermarket trade were valued at Dh26 billion (US$ 7 billion) last year with the value of exports and re-exports coming out of Dubai at Dh18 billion (US$ 5 billion). 

“The MENA region is regarded as one of the largest growth markets in the  automotive industry,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions & Events Management, Dubai World Trade Centre. “This is reflected in the significant growth and success of the Dubai International Motor Show, which is now established as the definitive platform in the Middle East for showcasing the latest and most exciting models and marques.  We expect this year’s event to generate even more interest from local and international motoring enthusiasts, allowing key international automotive heavyweights to connect with a wide array of audiences from across the globe whilst also linking with industry’s leading influencers.” 

The 2015 Dubai International Motor Show is supported by Show partners Cooper Tyres and Swiss Tourism and will be open from 6pm to 10pm on November 10; 11am to 10pm on November 11; 11am to 11pm on November 12 and 13; and from 11am to 10pm on November 14.