The 2024 version is scheduled for Nov. 27 to Dec. 6 of this year in Doha
NT Bureau
DOHA: The Geneva auto show will no longer be in Geneva, Switzerland, and organizers have decided to permanently move it to Qatar, according to a report.
The decision comes after years of struggle to continue running the show in its original Swiss location, Motor Authority website reported.
“A Facebook post from the show’s official account stated that the Geneva show is being discontinued, but, following one show in 2023, organizers will continue holding an event branded as the “Geneva International Motor Show Qatar” in Doha, Qatar. The 2024 version is scheduled for Nov. 27 to Dec. 6 of this year,” the report said.
This show’s move from Europe to the Middle East started in 2021, when a deal was struck between the organizers and Qatar’s tourism board to share hosting rights. The original plan was for an annual auto show in Geneva, with a biennial show in Doha — also to be called the Geneva International Motor Show, the report adds.
“The Geneva auto show was the first to be canceled during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, shutting down in 2020 just days before it was scheduled to open. Other auto shows were canceled as well, but most eventually returned. Geneva would have to wait until 2024, though. The show held this past February turned out to be the last in its original location,” the report says.
The new permanent location offers warmer weather as Geneva was traditionally held during European winters, which may attract more visitors and perhaps some of the exhibitors the real Geneva show lost in the wake of the pandemic.
