From left: George Wills, Porsche MEA; Deesch Papke, Dr. Ing. H.c.F. Porsche AG; Bernhard Maier, Dr. Ing. H.c.F. Porsche AG, VP for Sales & Marketing and board member; Sheikh Mohammad Sharbatly, SAMACO Group Vice-President and Chief Executive of SAMACO Automotive; Sherein Nassef, SAMACO Automotive; and Sheikh Mohammad Raffa, COO, SAMACO Automotive pose for a group photo after Maier awarded an honorary plaque to Sheikh Mohammad Sharbatly.JEDDAH: Luxury cars are seen as trademark of affluence and as such, their pace of production and volume of sale are deemed as accurate economic bellwether. As the global sales of luxury cars are at full throttle based on the figures cited by various luxury carmakers, it only proves that the global economy is again gathering steam. For one, Porsche AG is on track and is leading the pack. Bernhard Maier, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, Maier, who came all the way from Germany for the unveiling of the new Porsche centre in Jeddah, said that the world's leading sports car manufacturer logged a 25 percent increase in the number of cars delivered worldwide last year at 95,000 from a year-ago record, and a 38.4 percent jump in sales in the first 5 months of this year. He added that the Middle East region is Porsche's fourth largest market, where sales grew by 20 percent in 2010. Porsche sales in the Kingdom ballooned by 17 percent to 652 cars last year, Maier noted. And to further support its expanding market in the Kingdom, SAMACO Automotive (Saudi Arabian Marketing and Agencies Co. Ltd.) opened a SR90 million state-of-the-art Porsche Centre Jeddah located at King Road on Monday. The all-new 7,000-square meter facility offers all customer-relevant services under one roof, from sales, service to the timely provision of spare parts by a spacious parts stock area. It boasts a main showroom for 16 new cars on the ground floor as well as a dedicated pre-owned vehicle display area on the mezzanine floor. The integrated modern service facility includes 16 work bays as well as a fully equipped quick service center with three service bays. At a time up to 45 cars can be stored for servicing. In addition, the building offers ample space for administration offices and a spare parts warehouse, ensuring that repairs get done within the shortest time possible. Speaking on the occasion, Mohammad Sharbatly, Chief Executive of SAMACO Automotive, emphasized on the importance of the new integrated center and what it represents to Porsche customers in Jeddah. “The rapid urban development of Jeddah and the high demand for Porsche cars motivated us to expand our presence in the city. I am confident that with this new Porsche Centre, we will serve our clients better as we strive to exceed their expectations to the fullest extent. Our facility represents a benchmark for the local automotive business and we hope will soon become a commonly known landmark in the city,” he noted. Highlighting the achievements of Porsche, Maier added: “The opening of this new Porsche Centre here in Jeddah, a city with a determined growth strategy, represents another important milestone for us in the Kingdom by increasing our presence in the market place and echoing our reputation as the world's leading sports car manufacturer. There is no doubt that the new facility matches the high standards and luxury of products.” The opening is part of SAMACO's strategic expansion plan to provide exceptional services to its customers throughout the Kingdom by opening modern facilities that feature integrated services to ensure maximum customer satisfaction. The Centre also features a special shop-in-shop section where the latest lifestyle accessories from the Porsche Design Driver's Selection can be purchased to reflect the customers passion and individuality. SAMACO has been the Porsche importer in the Kingdom since 1982.
