General Motors announces record Q1 sales in UAE

This growth is driven by outstanding performance of GM's dealers in the UAE, namely Al Yousuf Motors, Bin Hamoodah Trading & General Services, Liberty Automobiles Co, National Auto and Gargash Motors.

In particular the appointment of new dealer partners in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain - Bin Hamoodah Trading & General Services for Chevrolet and Liberty Abu Dhabi Automobiles Co for Cadillac and HUMMER, now has GM on the right track in the nation's capital as these dealers play an integral part in the growth of GM and expand on the brands' reach in the UAE.

All brands performed very well so far this year, with Chevrolet sales at 3,121, GMC at 636, followed by Cadillac and HUMMER at 415.

Across the region, GM registered 30,679 units, an increase of 16% over Q1 2006, bringing Q1 2007 to a new all-time record for first quarters. March 2007 was the company's 41st consecutive month of record sales. This growth is fuelled by a series of launches last year.

"Success in all of our largest markets is due to the wide appeal of the 17 models that were launched in 2006, the impact of which has been seen more visibly in the first quarter of this year," commented Terry Johnsson, Managing Director of GM Middle East speaking to journalists at a media briefing held in Dubai. "This is a trend we intend to continue in 2007 as we plan 12 further model launches across our entire portfolio."

Growth is consistent across almost all markets driven in particular by Saudi Arabia, which traditionally accounts for about 60% of GM's total regional sales. In the Kingdom sales grew by 20% to 18,857 units in the quarter.

Sales in Oman were up 33%, Qatar sales were up 81%, Bahrain sales up 10% and the Levant markets (Jordan, Lebanon and Syria) saw sales increase by 15%, while Kuwait witnessed a decrease of 19%.

In the first quarter of the year, sales of Chevrolet were up by 22% to 21,210 units. Long time Middle East favourite the Chevrolet Caprice was the top selling GM model in the region during Q1, with sales up 85% with 4,932 units, highlighting the favourable market reaction to the new generation. This is followed by Chevrolet Lumina sales at 1,787 units, while the Chevrolet Suburban and Chevrolet Tahoe were the highest percentage increases this quarter, 311% and 257% respectively.

GMC sales remain level at 7,615 units, while the sales performance of the GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL gets closer to that of Caprice at 2,600 units and 1,922 units respectively.

GM's premium brands have also witnessed positive sales growth in this quarter, catapulting Cadillac sales up 52% to 752 units, HUMMER by 38% to 885 units and Saab by 25%. In particular, the biggest contributors to this growth were the H3 sales which increased by 33% to 751 units, and Escalade sales, up 126% to 421 units.

"General Motors continues to stand behind its vehicles with unique initiatives. We have been operating in the Middle East for over eighty years, selling, servicing and operating our business very close to our customers and dealers," added Johnsson.

"There have been a number of highlights in the quarter. We've launched the first GMC luxury crossover SUV, the Acadia; we've announced the GM Training Centre at Dubai Men's College; we've broken ground for HUMMER Driving Academy in Bahrain, the region's first off-road driving school, and the first of its kind outside North America; and we've officially launched the Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles."

GM brand highlights - Q1 2007:
- Chevrolet Caprice up 85% to 4,932 units
- Chevrolet Epica up 33% to 1,768 units
- Chevrolet Tahoe up 257% to 1,633 units
- Chevrolet Suburban up 311% to 834 units
- GMC Sierra up 151% to 1,901 units
- Cadillac Escalade up 126% to 421 units
- HUMMER H3 up 33% to 751 units
GM market highlights - Q1 2007:
- Saudi Arabia records 20% sales growth to 18,857 units
- United Arab Emirates records 17% sales growth to 4,186 units
- Kuwait sales level at 3,006 units
- Oman records 33% sales growth to 650 units
- Qatar records 81% sales growth to 2,053 units
- Bahrain sales up 10% to 496 units
- Levant (Syria, Jordan, Lebanon) records 15% sales growth to 1,144 units