Wheels come off car sales

T he Gulf region has been a goldmine for car manufacturers and dealers in recent years. Public transport is often negligible and roads are full of expensive four-wheel drives, luxury convertibles and cheaper Japanese cars.

For many white-collar immigrants, an upmarket car they could never afford in their home countries has become an integral part of the expatriate lifestyle. A luxury vehicle is perhaps even more important to local people, who often have the wealth and secure jobs to buy top-of-the-range models.

Combined with cheap fuel, banks’ willingness to lend and the fact that cars rarely last long in the humid, dusty environment of the Gulf, this has made the region a lucrative one for car dealers and manufacturers.