Dubai: The Gulf car market is dominated by Japanese manufacturers, who supply about 70 per cent of the total cars imported into the region, according to industry figures.
The GCC has an estimated six million vehicles, with 1.4 million in the UAE.
The UAE car market is growing at an average annual rate of 10 per cent, organisers of Dubai's leading auto spare parts exhibition said.
The UAE is also the world's second-largest per capita market for four-wheel drive vehicles after Australia.
High per capita incomes, booming economies and a growing population are fuelling the growth of the Gulf automotive sector, said International Expo Consults, which is organising the March 12-14 Automobile Aftermarket Middle East.
"The GCC automobile industry relies on imports with Japan accounting for 65-70 per cent of sales, Europe 15-20 per cent, the US contributing 6.5 per cent and the rest coming from other countries," the company said in a statement.
About 300 companies will showcase their products at the exhibition. The organisers expect sales to exceed the Dh368 million recorded during the 2006 show.
