Ford and Lincoln sales during the first half of the year posted an impressive 63 percent growth in the GCC region over the same period last year. The company forecast a steady market growth share in the region. Once again, Saudi Arabia took the lead, recording 88 percent total rise in sales for Ford and Lincoln vehicles for the first six months of 2011, Ford said in a statement Saturday. Trucks and SUVs remained the best performers for the Kingdom with an impressive 94 percent increase over the same period last year. Sales in passenger cars also remained strong with a 79 percent increase. Kuwait also jumped 29 percent in the first six months, with a 28 percent increase in year-to-date car sales, and a 29 percent boost in truck/SUV sales. Sales in Bahrain remain high with a 39 percent increase on last year's figures, with customers again showing strong preference for trucks/SUVs, accounting for 46 percent of the rise, with car sales up by 32 percent. In the UAE, an overall growth of 14 percent was realized with passenger cars leading the way with a 27 percent rise, followed by 8 percent growth in trucks/SUV sales. Qatar demonstrated a 66 percent growth in passenger car sales during the period, while Oman reported significant sales achievement with Ford Fusion posting a 60 percent increase. The Ford Taurus also saw sales increase in the sultanate by 86 percent. Ford sedans led the way with a 64 percent rise in sales. The Ford Taurus, Fusion and Mustang recorded significant growth across all GCC markets, with Taurus registering the biggest increase at 163 percent in first six months. Ford Fusion followed with an increase of 87 percent and Mustang logged a 33 percent increase in regional sales. Trucks and SUVs continued to grow strongly with a 62 percent increase where F-series stood out with almost tripled sales, and the one-ton Ranger sales nearly doubled. The all-time favorite Ford Explorer registered an impressive 62 percent increase in sales, with the crossover utility Ford Edge up 64 percent and full-size SUV Ford Expedition posting 57 percent growth. Hussein Murad, Ford Middle East's director of Sales, said: "Yet again, Ford is going from strength to strength, as proven by our remarkable performance for the first six months. This year certainly illustrates increased consumer confidence in and preference towards Ford products. Customers have given us a clear vote of confidence in our products that are not only world-class and award-winning, but leading in terms of technology and safety, with the richest features package. At Ford, we expect a continued growth trend in the Middle East enabling us to capture a sizeable amount of market share, especially in light of new product launches later this year, including the highly-anticipated all-new Ford Explorer and Ford Focus."
