The new showroom was formally inaugurated by Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing, His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor and vice-chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and Arno Husselmann, General manager of Abu Dhabi Motors, at an exclusive event on Tuesday evening attended by over 1,000 guests. 

The invited guests also included Graeme Grieve, vice-president for Importer Markets of BMW AG, Adrian Van Hooydonk, director of BMW Group Design, and a large number of VIPs and celebrities from the region, including fashion designer Walid Atallah.

At the opening of the BMW Group’s largest showroom worldwide, Ian Robertson thanked the investors and owners Sheikh Mohammed Bin Butti Al Hamid and Sheikh Saif Bin Mohammed Bin Butti Al-Hamid for their strong commitment to completing the new building. 

Robertson continued:'The Middle East is an important region for the BMW Group. We sold more vehicles here in 2011 than ever before. There is tremendous future growth potential in many countries in this region and in the United Arab Emirates in particular.' He further added:'The investment in this impressive and unique facility that makes the world’s biggest BMW Group showroom, is testament to the continued opportunities that lie ahead in Abu Dhabi and in the region'

The expansive facility in Umm Al Nar houses separate showrooms and sales areas for the three premium automobile brands, BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, and for BMW motorcycles. More than 450 staff members will work at the facility. The new showroom will allow customers to view the brands’ entire model line-up in different colours and different option packages, with more than 70 automobiles and 10 motorcycles on permanent display. This will be complemented by an extensive range of newer pre-owned vehicles and a state-of-the-art service area equipped with the latest technology. The workshop will be able to perform maintenance on up to 120 vehicles simultaneously.

A further focus will be the facility’s extensive shopping and boutique area, which will sell a wide selection of BMW and MINI fashion items and other merchandise, as well as original parts and accessories, in a bright and friendly setting. Film fans will not be disappointed either – there is a private cinema that can also host exclusive new-vehicle presentations for special occasions. A café, a Formula One racing simulator and a children’s play area make the perfect customer service offering complete

The BMW Group achieved a new sales record in the Middle East in 2011. A total of 18,657 BMW and MINI brand vehicles were sold last year in the region’s 14 import markets – an increase of more than nine per cent year-on-year. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) accounted for more than 47% of deliveries, with Abu Dhabi and Dubai the largest markets. 

The best-selling vehicles in the region in 2011 were large model series such as the BMW 7 Series, the 5 Series, the X5 and the X6. The BMW 7 was the top-selling car in the BMW model range, for example, with 4,511 vehicles delivered to customers. In 2011 the Middle East was the third biggest market worldwide for the BMW 7 Series following China and the United States of America.  In the region’s 14 markets, particularly strong growth was seen in Qatar with an increase of 26% (1,265 units), Abu Dhabi 23% (4,436 units), Dubai 23% (4,395 units), Kuwait 6% (2,380 units) and Saudi Arabia 2% (3,072 units).