Sales of General Motors (GM) vehicles in Saudi Arabia in the first nine months of this year roared up 8 percent over the same period of 2007, the company announced recently. With total year-to-date sales of 62,706 units, the Kingdom accounts for well over half of all GM sales in the Middle East. GMC continues to go from strength to strength in Saudi Arabia, with year-on-year sales in the first three quarters of 2008 up by 31 percent to 20,706 units. This growth has been mainly attributed to continuing popularity of the Yukon and Yukon XL full-size SUVs - with sales of over 16,000 units they make up the majority of GMC sales - as well as the impact of the Acadia luxury Crossover SUV, which registered over 2,000 sales. Chevrolet accounted for two thirds of GM volume in the Kingdom, with sales of 40,580 units. The number one seller for Chevrolet remains the Tahoe/Suburban full-size SUVs, with sales of almost 8,800 units, followed closely by the Aveo small car and the evergreen Caprice. The premium brands of Cadillac, HUMMER and Saab have also had a good nine months, with sales up by 9 percent to 1,420 units. The HUMMER H3 led the way for GM in the premium sector, with just under 500 sales, ahead of the Cadillac Escalade and the award-winning all-new Cadillac CTS sedan. Terry Johnsson, president of General Motors - Middle East Operations, said “it is extremely rewarding to see that the General Motors line-up is attracting customers across the region and in Saudi Arabia in increasing numbers, as demonstrated by these results. At the same time, we acknowledge the commitment and effort of our esteemed dealers - Abdullatif Alissa Automotive Company, Aljomaih Automotive Company, Omar A. Balubaid Company and Universal Motors Agencies Co. - in making this success possible. GM also announced a new Middle East sales record for the first nine months of the year, with its sales in the region in 2008 up by 13 percent to 111,944 units compared to the same period in 2007. This success can be attributed to three key factors: increasing demand for the company's full-size SUVs, a huge rise in sales for GMC and the growing popularity of the GM brands in the Lower Gulf and the smaller markets.
