Sharjah: Organisers of the Sharjah International Automobile Show, running till tomorrow, said they recorded a 60 per cent increase in visitors compared to 2008 on the first two days of the event, but did not give exact numbers.
"So far visitor numbers are excellent this year — much higher than our last show in 2008, which bodes well for the industry as a whole, thanks to the quality of vehicles on display. The extra events that we've organised in the outdoor arena has kept the whole family entertained," said Saif Al Midfa, director general of the Expo Centre Sharjah.
Visitors were attracted by new car launches such as the Audi A8L and the Mercedes Mclaren SLR and also by outdoor events at the Middle East Motor Tuning Show, which this year is running in conjunction with the Automobile Show.
"We have seen a very positive response from visitors, some of whom have booked test drives, whilst others have already placed orders," said Duncan Peat, Managing Director of Liberty Automobiles Company.
The Audi A8L made a surprise appearance at the show, weeks ahead of the official launch in the UAE.
"We still have weeks to go until the launch, but order books are filling up so quickly that the first shipments are already sold out. This car will be the hottest vehicle in town and we are happy that we were able to give our customers a sneak preview at the show," said K. Rajaram, CEO of Al Nabooda Automobiles, Audi's official partner for Dubai and the northern emirates.
The show also unveiled the first Middle East Motor Awards. Mercedes-Benz and Porsche won three each. Other winners were Chevrolet, Range Rover, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Nissan, Lexus, BMW and others.
