Thierry Sabbagh (left), Director of Sales, Ford Middle East; and Nabeel Al Hussayen during the announcement. JEDDAH – Ford and Lincoln sales in the Middle East closed 2012 on a high note, breaking the 75,000 unit barrier – a 10 percent year over year growth. Sales of both brands in the last quarter of 2012 jumped an outstanding 42 percent year over year, said Thierry Sabbagh, Ford Middle East's Sales director, who is confident that the momentum will be equally strong for 2013. In Saudi Arabia, overall sales were even year over year. However, excluding the impact of the Crown Victoria discontinuation, sales of the remaining vehicles grew by nearly 30 percent, with strong performances across the range. Top sellers included the Expedition, Explorer, Edge, Flex, Taurus, Fusion, Focus and Figo. On the product front, the Ford Edge, Explorer, Expedition and F-150 led the truck and SUV regional sales which saw a 43 per cent increase in 2012 versus 2011. Ford and Lincoln passenger cars registered 40 per cent growth in retail sales – excluding the discontinued Ford Crown Victoria – with Focus, Fusion, Mustang and Taurus leading the pack. “2012 has truly been a landmark year for Ford in the region,” said Sabbagh. “We continued to drive growth aggressively across our markets, thanks to the great new products we've introduced lately, and the tremendous support we've seen from our dealers. In the last quarter we've gained momentum as our supply got better. “We commend the outstanding performance that our local dealer partners, Al Jazirah Vehicles Agencies Co., have demonstrated last year, and their unwavering focus on growing the Ford and Lincoln business in the Kingdom,” he added. “With this great momentum, we are geared up to start 2013 on a high note as we continue to be laser-focused on the One Ford plan and work with our dealers to further grow the business and introduce exciting models such as the all-new Ford Focus ST, Escape, Fusion and EcoSport, together with the all-new Lincoln MKZ, all of which are true to the One Ford promise,” he added. – SG
