DOHA: The BMW Group’s outlook for 2013 is looking optimistic with the company reporting its best ever first quarter in the Middle East.
Sales for the first three months of the year increased 28 percent compared to the same period in 2012, setting the pace for another record year.
A total of 6,303 BMW and MINI vehicles were sold to customers in 13 Middle East markets.
Qatar’s sales volume rose to 31 percent in Q1 2013 versus Q12012. The UAE remained the largest market for BMW Group Middle East sales in the first quarter, accounting for just over half (51 percent).
Abu Dhabi continued to be the highest volume selling market with 1,906 vehicles sold, followed by Dubai with 1,317 vehicles sold. Other markets that showed double digit sales increases included Bahrain 99 percent, Kuwait 56 percent, Jordan 24 percent and Oman by 12 percent.
These positive sales figures highlight the strong demand for BMW and MINI vehicles and the strength of the brands. BMW is ranked 14th in Fortune magazine’s list of the “World’s Most Admired Companies,” and is the only carmaker and only European company listed among the top 15 of the Top 500 Most Admired companies in the world.
Commenting on the positive results, Dr Joerg Breuer, Managing Director of BMW Group Middle East, said: “There are a number of contributing factors which play a crucial role towards our record breaking first quarter.
“First of all it helps that we are operating in a favourable economic environment. This is coupled with the strength of our brands and the launch of new models such as the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé as well as models that are already strongly established in the Middle East, such as the BMW 7-, 5- and 3-Series, X6 and X5.”
The BMW 5 Series was the best selling model with 1,286 cars sold, followed by the newly refined flagship BMW 7 Series with sales of 1,134 cars.
Other best selling models included the BMW X5 Sports Activity Vehicle with 1,098 cars sold; the BMW 3 Series with sales of 644 cars and the BMW X6 Sports Activity Coupe with 767 cars sold.
The Peninsula
