DUBAI, 8 December 2006 — GM has launched 17 new models or new generations of existing Middle East favorites, including such cars as the Chevrolet Epica, Lumina and Caprice this year, said Maureen Kempston Darkes, group vice president, General Motors and president, General Motors Latin America, Africa and Middle East (LAAM).
Reviewing GM’s LAAM region performance for 2006 at a press conference held at Park Hyatt Hotel in Dubai yesterday, she said “GM set an all-time quarterly sales record in the third quarter of 2006 at 270,000 units, making LAAM’s best quarter performance since 1997.”
“Sales year-to-date have already passed total 2005, and we are well on track to exceed 1 million units for the year, which will increase our annual sales by about 17.3 percent,” she added.
While the preliminary results for November indicate that it is the 37th straight month of record sales, year-to-date results for the Middle East showed an increase of 21 percent over the same period last year.
“In 2006 alone, we have replaced over 60 percent of our product line-up here in the Middle East. Our performance this year has been outstanding — and we are on track to have a record year in this region,” she noted.
In 2007, Darkes said, “Our aggressive product strategy in the Middle East will continue.”
Together with its dealer partners around the region, GM has made significant investments in all aspects of the business to ensure customer satisfaction throughout the ownership cycle.
There are currently 31 new dealer facilities under way in the region, totaling an investment of $113 million, while $600 million is to be spent on dealer facilities between 2006 and 2008.
These investments have been made possible in part by GM’s recently expanded $63 million parts distribution center in Jebel Ali, which has allowed the dealers to reduce stock inventory and free up $45 million in working capital.
“The Middle East remains a very important market for General Motors in which the company continued to have solid performance both in terms of sales growth and market share,” she said, adding that we are committed to doing everything we can to grow our business here ... by working very closely with our dealers ... and by continuing our aggressive introduction of new products.”
