Industry Developments

Japanese tyre manufacturer Bridgestone is facing a number of setbacks in Africa, which have been compounded by the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Kenyan firm Sameer Africa,... 2011-05-04

Volvo Cars is planning to expand its showroom network in the UAE through local distributor Trading Enterprises, with a particular eye on the SUV segment in the country's northern emirates.... 2011-05-03

Final figures for 2010 released by Morocco's Association of Vehicle Importers (AIVAM) showed that new car sales in Morocco were down by 5% year on year (y-o-y), at 103,436 vehicles... 2011-04-30

French carmaker Renault has appointed an official distributor to begin sales of its passenger and light commercial vehicles in Iraq, as part of its strategy to generate 50% of global... 2011-04-21

Egypt's GB Auto says any regime change resulting from the political unrest in countries such as Libya and Syria could provide opportunities for foreign investors. BMI believes this... 2011-04-18

German premium carmaker BMW has followed up a record year for sales in the Middle East in 2010 with growth of 19% in Q111. Although accounting for far fewer sales in volume terms, the... 2011-04-13

A move by the Qatar Central Bank to set an upper limit on car loans will impact industry growth, according to dealers. However, a more pressing issue is the lack of clarity on financing... 2011-04-12

Japan's Toyota Motor has teamed up with Microsoft Corp to provide telematics systems, which could be another key area in the battle for leadership of the global autos sector.

US carmaker Ford Motor has announced impressive growth for its Middle East business in Q111, with more stable markets such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia making up for slower sales in... 2011-04-07

BMI's view that autos companies from emerging markets will step up their global expansion continues to be backed up, as major Chinese truck maker Beiqi Foton announces a new production... 2011-04-06