• Home
• /
• Local business

Ford Records 35pc Growth in the UAE

The UAE emerged as a major growth market for Ford Middle East as it recorded a remarkable overall rise in sales over 2007, driven by over 60 per cent increase in sales of trucks and SUV’s across all three brands, said a statement issued on Monday.

The company with more than 60-year of heritage in the Middle East is upbeat about the growth opportunities in 2009 as the region represents nearly half of Ford Motor Company’s export operations and makes it a crucial growth market.

“Ford has registered encouraging growth levels in the GCC during the past few years and 2008 is no different, thanks to the outstanding support and confidence that our dealers have put into our brands and the business,” said Hussein Murad, Director of Sales for Ford Middle East.

“But ultimately we owe this success to our customers who put their trust in our products, as they continue to realise the exceptional value that Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products offer, coupled with the outstanding support that our dealers provide throughout their dealerships,” he said.

Commenting on the outlook for 2009, Murad added: “We recognise the economic challenges currently facing us, but thanks to our careful planning we are positioned to stay focused on our roadmap to deliver quality, fuel efficiency, safety, and technology in cars that our customers want and value. We are more confident than ever that we have the right plan, the right products and the right partners to withstand these challenging times and be well positioned for profitable growth in the future.” The robust growth was led primarily by SUVs and trucks which sold 40 per cent more than last year, while passenger cars sales grew 10 per cent across the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands, added the statement. The growth was further fuelled by increased dealership representation of Al Tayer Motors and Premier Motors, the Ford and Lincoln importer-dealers in the UAE. Together, over the last 5 years, over $200 million was invested in facility developments in the UAE alone, with 8 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury facilities in total representing and servicing Ford Motor Company products.

· abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com