Dubai: Iconic motorcyclemaker Harley-Davidson is enjoying steady sales as growth internationally hit 9.7 per cent in the last quarter of 2011, a welcome boost following a drop in profits in the last three years.
Within the Mena region, the motorcycle brand continues to enjoy strong sales.
"Growth in interest in the brand had another strong year in 2011 in the Mena region, and our dealer partners and their teams in every Mena country have done a brilliant job of fulfilling the dreams of so many people who wanted to own a Harley Davidson motorcycle," said Paul de Jongh, country manager for Harley Davidson Mena.
According to Jongh, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the two biggest markets with Qatar and Kuwait continuing to show very strong growth on a year-on-year basis.
Harley shipped 50,730 motorcycles to dealers and distributors during the quarter, compared with 44,481 in the same quarter the previous year. For the full year, shipments rose 11 per cent to 233,117 bikes.
Popular range
Sales grew for all models in the UAE in 2011, with the Sportster and Softail ranges being particular favourites among riders. "At a starting price of only Dh34,900, we believe that we will continue to experience above average growth in the UAE. People are always shocked when they hear its only that much," said Jongh.
On the back of this growth, Harley is due to open a third store in Deira in April and another store in Abu Dhabi.
"We have plans to increase our brand footprint in the region over the next couple of years, and we hope to add a minimum of 11 more dealerships across the region, not only in countries where we already have dealerships, but also in countries where we currently do not have any representation," said Jongh.
Their UAE customer base, which has been traditionally male expatriates, is seeing more growth.
