This month, Volkswagen Middle East is gearing up to celebrate their second anniversary in the region. Since the inaugural opening of the regional office in Dubai in August 2005, Europe’s largest car manufacturer has seen the office triple in size after only two years! With a marked sales increase of 54% since the opening, Volkswagen has high hopes for the road ahead, and its sights set on rapid growth throughout the Middle East.
Two years ago, Volkswagen established its first office in the region aiming to increase their commitment to their Middle Eastern partners and customers. This initiative has allowed the brand to introduce a wider variety of Volkswagen models to the region and strengthen their dedication to their patrons. During the past two years, Volkswagen Middle East has also set up a Regional Service Competence Center and a Regional Training Center aimed at providing improved service to their customers.
This year has been an exciting year for Volkswagen with the launch of their new coupe-convertible, the Eos, which has received great reviews from around the region. Another hit in 2007 has been the new generation Touareg, which regionally has been the most popular Volkswagen car representing 33 percent of Volkswagen’s total sales for the first half of 2007.
“Next year we are expecting equal success with the launch of Volkswagen’s brand new Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), the Tiguan, also known as the ‘Touareg’s little brother’,” says Hans-Dieter Keller, Managing Director of Volkswagen Middle East. The Tiguan has already gained worldwide attention with its concept of a crossover between coupe and SUV. It was conceived as a borderliner between the urban world and endless landscapes, what is known as the “urban jungle”, between business and leisure time.
Recently, Audi Volkswagen Middle East also celebrated the inauguration of their 10,000 sqm Middle East Parts Centre for the Volkswagen and Audi brands. The state-of-the-art warehouse facility is located in the Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai, and has improved parts availability while reducing lead times for parts ordering. The centre also serves to regulate the use of approved genuine parts as a measure towards greater vehicle safety.
One of the biggest commercial challenges in the Middle East is consumer diversity. Volkswagen Middle East currently oversees 11 markets throughout the region, all of which have different requirements. “In order to promote the brand successfully within the region we work to tailor our customer services and marketing campaigns to suit each individual market,” says Mr. Keller.
“We are very proud to celebrate our second year in the Middle East,” concluded Mr. Keller. By laying these foundations, Volkswagen has now reinforced its position in the region. We aim to build on our existing alliances in the region and are looking forward to continually growing and expanding the Volkswagen brand throughout the region.”
