Cars & Autos | Wednesday 29 April, 2015 4:46 pm |

In the backdrop of a great ceremony held in Jeddah city, PR Arabia held the third instalment of its Awards event, where His Royal Highness Prince Sultan Bin Bandar Al-Faisal, Head of Saudi Arabian Motor Federation, crowned the winners with the top automotive industry awards presented in the Kingdom and Middle East.

The event was attended by a host of businessmen, led by Engineer Mazen bin Mohammed Battarjee​, Vice Chairman of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and Mr. Faisal Abou Shousha, Chairman of the National Auto Dealers Committee. Also present was a number of Regional Automotive Managers, as well as a gathering of automotive enthusiasts and media professionals.

The event started with an overview of the Awards concept, organization and categories. In addition, it shed light on the candidates’ selection process and the accompanying promotional campaign that followed, which induced the public to vote through the Awards online page. The voting process lasted more than 3 months and attracted in excess of 250,000 visitors, representing a 400% increase over last year. Voting peaked in the final few days of the campaign, and interest centred on the category of Media Personnel and the category of Sports Cars & Super Cars. Also, motorsports attracted a great deal of attention.

Nissan Saudi Arabia won the Best Motorsports Development Program award for its Nissan GT academy. Saudi driver Khaled Bin Mohammed won the aforementioned championship, which soon became a leading event in the both the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

Moreover, media professional Hasan Kutbi, who runs a distinctive website on the social media network, won the Best Automotive Media Professional award, in appreciation of his skills in preparing and presenting his YouTube channel program, which attracted a large number of followers exceeding 100,000 automotive enthusiasts.

As for the Best Automotive Financing Program award, it was grabbed by the National Commercial Bank for the third time in a row, for greatly simplifying the process of owning a car. That achievement represents a major accomplishment for the bank, which controls more than 45% of the automotive leasing sector in KSA.

On the other hand, Al Ghassan Motors won the Best Automotive Dealership award, after amassing a large number of distinguished accolades from leading automobile factories, and because it has the largest portfolio of luxurious automotive brands, such as Bentley & McLaren. Recently, the company added Infiniti to its portfolio, which represents another milestone for Al Ghassan Motors and the Saudi automotive sector.

As for Aljomaih Automotive, it won the Best Road Safety and Social Service Program award, in appreciation of the services they provided to the injured in road accidents, which are part of its diverse social services’ program.

On the other hand, the Best Cars of 2015 Awards were handed in three categories, each one split into luxurious and mainstream models. In the category of Sedan cars, Nissan Sentra won as a mainstream model, while Maserati Ghibli as a luxurious one. As for Sports Cars, Ford Mustang (mainstream) and Aston Martin Vanquish S (luxurious) emerged victorious, while Toyota Prado and Mercedes ML snatched the top spots in the mainstream and luxurious SUV categories respectively.

Moreover, Aljabr Automotive, dealer of Kia Saudi Arabia, was honoured for the Best Promotional Campaign launched during 2015. In addition, the Middle East champion Mamdouh Khayyat was honoured for his achievements and contributions during a career spanning 30 years in Motorsports.

Mr. Walid Karanouh, General Manager of PR Arabia agency, expressed his delight at this year’s awards, due to the success it achieved and the increase in public participation: “That success reflects the great trust our Awards have garnered in the Saudi automotive industry. Also, I’d like to thank HRH Prince Sultan Bin Bander for attending the ceremony and presenting the awards.”

In addition, Mr. Karanouh thanked the sponsors, led by Total, and everyone who supported PR Arabia Awards, from automobile dealers to colleagues in different media outlets. He also acknowledged the efforts of the jury, and expressed his hope for their return in the coming years.

Moreover, he reiterated PR Arabia’s utmost determination in holding the Awards event on a yearly basis, while working fervently to develop it, expand its footprint and increase its popularity: “We are determined to develop our Awards event further, and are confident of our ability to reach our goals. After all, ideas start as a vision that grows gradually till it reaches perfection, provided we face obstacles defiantly.”

On the other hand, Mr. Walid Kattan expressed his delight in heading the jury for the first two instalments of PR Arabia Awards, and commended the success it achieved and the status it has garnered as one of the most respected and prestigious awards in the automotive industry. He also thanked PR Arabia for launching the Awards, as it instills an honest competitive spirit in the Saudi automotive industry, and enhances the quality of services presented to consumers.

Finally yet importantly, Mamdouh Khayyat, who was honored for his vital role in launching professional motorsports in the Kingdom 30 years ago, thanked the Awards’ organizers on behalf of the winners, and stressed how happy they are with their unique trophies in the Kingdom.