By all standards, Dubai looks as complacent as ever. It has weathered the storm of discontent seen after the hundreds of layoffs that followed the construction bust, come through the Dubai World debt repayment crisis and is now picking up after the credit crunch has eased. If the present figures are to be believed, employment and business opportunities are on the increase. Dubai seems to be coming back into its own.
The auto industry all over the world still recognizes that due to its oil wealth, Dubai and the Middle East will continue to be a magnet for its latest models of cars. A number of new models are expected to be unveiled at the Dubai Auto Show. It is not uncommon to get orders from other emirates of the Middle East, especially if the presentation is excellent. Good news travels fast and so does word of mouth advertising. It can even affect business of car dealers Abu Dhabi. The autos Dubai market is having a difficult time at the moment, because many expatriates have chosen to move to smaller compact cars that are less costly to buy and maintain than the luxurious variety. This has been true of those in the commission based sales industry, because the movement of the expatriates has in a sense dried up sales opportunities. There are other expatriate families who are on the verge of moving out, and they are just waiting for the school year to end so that they can move out as a family.
Enthusiasts of autos Dubai and car dealers Abu Dhabi have always maintained a glorious affair with the latest automobiles. The scions of rich and wealthy families like to show off their status by ordering the latest luxury autos in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, some even having fittings and amenities made to order like a Rolls Royce or a Mercedes. They are out to beat each other, some even indulging in private races in which the loser gives up his car to the winner. It has even become part of the culture of rich kids. The junkyards of autos Dubai are filled with some of the not very old models, and anything of value is picked up by discerning second hand car or spare parts dealers. Every few years the taxi industry is asked to change its standard models, to evoke modernity and give more comfort to the customer. When expatriates were leaving the emirate in hordes, frantic ads and postings were made on classified sites Dubai for the sale of their cars at throwaway prices. The second hand car dealers had a field day and many made a lot of money. Elsewhere, abandoned cars were auctioned for the best prices at Government auctions. But with these heady days over, it’s hard to come up with sales figures and some car dealers have even teamed up with banks and insurance companies to offer better value added and comprehensive packages for their customers.