The GCC countries' high per capita income, stable economy, a high population growth rate, and the fact that local production of automobiles is almost non-existent, are the key factors behind the significant development of the automotive sector in the region. The diversified automotive industry in the GCC and Saudi Arabia is highly dependent on imports from Europe, America, Japan, and other Asian countries. “The large presence of automobiles in the region creates significant demand for the aftermarket industry and augurs well for Automechanika Middle East, the leading international trade fair for the automotive industry in the wider Middle East,” said Elisabeth Brehl, managing director of Epoc Messe Frankfurt, organizers of the trade fair. Research stated by Auto Strategies International, show that 55.31 percent of the total number of passenger cars in Saudi Arabia are from Japan, while the Korean, American and European car brands stand at 19.76 percent, 14.68 percent and 4.20 percent respectively. Automechanika Middle East will be held from May 31 to June 2, 2009 at the Dubai Exhibition Center. Japanese automobiles dominate the GCC auto market with 60.98 percent, while the rest was shared by Korean brands at 13.78 percent, American brands at 10.15 percent, and European brands at 8.20 percent. __
