2007
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Automobile industry target Saudi women
Industry figures at the Riyadh Motor Show 2008 this week said they are seeing an increase in profits from women owning cars, even if they need chauffeurs to drive them, reported Reuters. Saudi Arabia, which imposes a strict version of Islamic law, is the only country in the world where women are banned from driving. Religious authorities say allowing women to drive would lead to gender-mixing and take women away from their role as mothers.
Speedsters to clean roads
Brigadier Nasser Al Nuaimi, the DG of the Interior Minister's office in Abu Dhabi, has unveiled additional punishments for the UAE capital's speeding motorists, according to Gulf News. In addition to spending a week behind bars, which was reported here yesterday, violators will also have to clean the city's roads and schools for a further two days. The new ruling has already come into effect.
Abu Dhabi targets speedsters
Captain Ahmad Hussain Al Harthy, the Head of Traffic Management and Road Safety at the Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrol Division, has said speeding drivers could face a stretch in jail if caught, reported Gulf News. Al Harthy said 'hot heads' found to be breaking the speed limit and driving recklessly could face a week in prison and their vehicles could be confiscated for a month.
No Limits for Volkswagen
Volkswagen Middle East recently held a 'No Limits' promotional day at the Bahrain International Circuit. Around 600 customers and media representatives from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the UAE tried out a number of the German carmaker's models including the Golf GTI and Golf R32 as well as the Jetta, Passat and Phaeton.
BMW M3 sedan to arrive in April
BMW Group Middle East has announced that the BMW M3 Sedan will arrive in the region in April 2008. The new, 309 kW/420 hp V8 power unit enables the car to accelerate to 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds, and achieve a top speed of 250 km/h.
Mercedes give away promotion from ADCOOPS
Abu Dhabi Co-operative Society has announced that it will give away three Mercedes 2008 C Series as part of its seasonal promotion campaign to mark Eid Al Adha, Christmas and New Year celebrations. For every purchase worth a specified amount at any ADCOOPS branches in Abu Dhabi, including Costless Electronics and Costless Infotech, shoppers will have a chance to participate in a raffle for the cars on 28th January at ADCOOPS Abu Dhabi Mall branch.
Najd rent a car introduces fleet of luxury cars
Najd Rent a Car, one of the UAE's car rental companies targeting the high-end market, has announced that it has recently acquired a new warehouse facility to accommodate its newly expanded fleet luxury cars that would cater VIP clients. The move is part of a new strategy implemented by the company to meet the growing number of elite clients in the UAE. According to recent statistics, the car rental market in Dubai has increased 20 per cent in 2007 as most business visitors prefer to rent rather than buy a car, while the number of corporations opting for car rental solutions has also increased.
du offers customized car prize
As part of its celebration to reach the one million customers mark du has rolled out an exclusive nationwide draw for their existing and new customers to win the specially customized 'du Ryder' automobile by gaining points every time they use their du mobile line.
Dubai steps up road checks
Dubai traffic police have intensified random checks on roads to identify unregistered drivers and have been issuing more on-the-spot fines, reported Gulf News. Brigadier Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Director of Dubai Police's Traffic Department, said there were about 120,000 vehicles on Dubai roads with expired registrations.
Dubai diesel spikes
Dubai based petrol retailers Emarat and the Emirates National Oil Company are selling diesel at prices 42% higher than those found in Abu Dhabi, reported Gulf News. The price of a gallon has spiked from Dhs11.9 at the end of November to Dhs12.2 now, while in the UAE capital, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company is selling a gallon at just Dhs8.6.
Five Hundred into Bahrain
Ford's 2008 Five Hundred, a full-size sedan, has been launched in Bahrain by Almoayyed Motors, reported the Bahrain Tribune. The model features a 3.5-litre Duratec V-6 engine that can offer 263 NET horsepower and 249 pound-feet of torque. The car also includes an MP3 audio input jack.
First UAE made car
For the first time a 150-horsepower, double cabin pick-up, produced in the UAE, has been launched in the market by Gulf Automobile Industry Corp priced between Dh36, 000 and Dh60, 000, reported Gulf News. The automobile has about 40 per cent local component, sourced from GCC and Arab countries and is being manufactured in a factory in Abu Dhabi.
Kia Motors Saudi celebrates sponsorship of Euro2008
KIA Motors Saudi Arabia participates in the Jeddah International Motor Show 2007. Since this year's motor show coincides with KIA's patronage of the Euro2008 Competition, one of the popular sport events in the world, KIA adorns for 5 days the colors of the European football teams participating in the competition. KIA also displays a wide selection of its 2008 cars and it launches and tests several new KIA models on a green football field instead of other testing locations.
Dubai cracks down on car tints
Dubai police are intensifying their checks on cars that have excessive tinting, and will confiscate vehicles that have windows which are tinted by more than 30%, reported Gulf News. Brigadier Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Director of the Dubai Police Traffic Department, said the police are using a new electronic device that they have developed to measure the level of tint.
Saudi car plate fetches $1.7m
A Saudi car registration plate was purchased for 6.4m Saudi riyals ($1.7m) in an auction, reported Gulf News. The traffic department in Riyadh, which organised the auction, collected more than 17 million Saudi riyals from selling car registration plates. The tag number of the priciest registration plate was (AAA-1111).
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