"Ours is a significant growth when the industry is estimated to have grown by about five percent, and we did not opt for a government bailout in 2008," the company's director of sales for the Middle East, Hussein Murad, told a press conference here on Tuesday.
Ford's GCC growth was mainly driven by demand across the range of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products, with a nearly 30 percent increase in passenger cars, led by the all-new Fiesta, Fusion and Taurus models, while utility vehicles were up by nearly 60 percent across the range with sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and crossovers among the star performers.
In Saudi Arabia, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury sales saw a 74 percent hike over Q1 last year, with growth registered across passenger cars and utility vehicles, as each segment recorded a 54 and 104 percent increase respectively.
The company has had a successful 2009 worldwide, posting a net income of $2.7 billion.
"We were among the big three US car makers who did not opt for a government bailout in 2008 and yet outperformed the regional industry in Q1, 2010, and the momentum is upbeat moving forward," Murad added.
"This has been an outstanding quarter for Ford in the region, and we are thrilled to see the momentum continue from where we left toward 2009 end. Our customer base is growing at a rapid pace as we continue to gain market share, and Ford's success story is evident today more than ever across all our markets.
"This growth confirms the success of our transformation plan and how it is reflected in our region."
Ford's product drive remains on track for 2010 with at least five new products making their way into the region -- the high-tech 2010 Taurus, and the off-roader F-150 SVT Raptor and its new desert conquering 400hp 6.2L engine. The 2011 Mustang leads these launches with its new powertrains: the 5.0L V8 with its 400+ net hp and the more economical 3.7L V6 with its 305 net hp output.
