Porsche sales in the Emirates surged 41 per cent in the first half of this year from a year earlier, driven by the four-wheel drive Cayenne model, which made up the bulk of purchases.
George Wills, the acting managing director for Porsche in the region, said the Cayenne 4x4, which makes up 70 per cent of sales, had helped to increase the popularity of the Porsche brand, as had an improved dealer network.
"The importer network has invested significantly over the past 24 months to ensure a high profile and prominent Porsche presence throughout the region," Mr Wills said.
The German company sold 1,356 cars in the first half of the year across the Emirates, compared with 958 vehicles in the same period last year.
The Cayenne, which has a starting price of Dh249,000 (US$67,795) in the UAE, is also fuelling Porsche's growth worldwide, causing the manufacturer to plan an increase in output of 10 to 20 per cent next year.
Demand for the 4x4 has caused delivery times to peak to as high as a year in markets such as China, Bernhard Maier, Porsche's head of sales and marketing, said in an interview with Bloomberg News last week.
Globally, Porsche delivered a total of 60,659 new vehicles in the first half of the year, up 36.8 per cent on the same period last year. Other sports and luxury car manufacturers are also working on launching 4x4 vehicles to take advantage of booming demand in the Middle East and other emerging markets.
The British luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin is planning to reintroduce its Lagonda model in a 4x4 version.
"I see it as an opportunity, because people in this region want the avant-garde 4x4, a luxury utility vehicle," said Adham Charanoglu, the chief executive of Aston Martin in the Middle East and North Africa. "It is a big luxurious car, Aston is designing it and owns the Lagonda."
The car market is currently booming in the UAE as well as across the region.
Aston Martin this week announced a 30 per cent increase in regional sales in the first half of the year, compared with a year earlier.
Last week, Ford, Toyota, General Motors, BMW and Nissan all reported double-digit sales growth in the first six months of the year.
Middle East and Africa is the car manufacturer's fourth-biggest market worldwide, with the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, South Africa and Saudi Arabia the biggest-selling markets in the region.
Mr Wills said the brand was confident it would improve on last year's record sales of 6,842 cars in the region.
Globally, Porsche aims to double sales to about 200,000 vehicles by 2018 by adding a compact 4x4 and increasing sales in emerging markets.
rjones@thenational.ae
In Praise of Zayed
A thousand grains of Sand whirl in the sky
To mark the journey of one passer-by
If then a Cavalcade disturbs the scene,
Shall such grains sing before they start to fly?
What man of Honour, and to Honour bred
Will fear to go wherever Truth has led?
For though a Thousand urge him to retreat
He'll laugh, until such counsellors have fled.
Stands always One, defiant and alone
Against the Many, when all Hope has flown.
Then comes the Test; and only then the time
Of reckoning what each can call his own.
History will not forget: that one small Seed
Sufficed to tip the Scales in time of need.
More than a debt, the Emirates owe to Zayed
Their very Souls, from outside influence freed.
No praise from Roderic can increase his Fame.
Steadfastness was the Essence of his name.
The changing years grow Gardens in the Sand
And build new Roads to Sand which stays the same.
But Hearts are not rebuilt, nor Seed resown.
What was, remains, essentially Alone.
Until the Golden Messenger, all-wise,
Calls out: "Come now, my Friend!" - and All is known
- Roderic Fenwick Owen
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was first created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
