Chinese cars invade Qatar’s streets: Report
Published: 25 July 2024
Low prices, good quality and design given as reasons for popularity of Chinese cars
NT Bureau
Doha
Chinese cars have invaded Qatar’s streets as one cannot walk on the streets without being drawn to a new and different type of luxurious and ordinary vehicles that rival Japanese, American and European cars, Al Jazeera Net reports.
The website quoted Ahmed Sabaei, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Elite Motors in Qatar, as saying that 2019 was a turning point in the history of the Chinese car industry, as companies this year were able to provide high-quality products at low prices, which shocked the auto industry in the world.
According to Al Sabaei, the share of Chinese cars constituted 15 percent of the overall Qatari market during 2022, which represents a significant increase in total sales, compared to previous years.
It is expected that the share of Chinese cars would reach 30 percent in 2025, thus outperforming European and American cars and becoming a strong competitor to the Japanese cars, he said.
A preference for quality and high technology made Chinese cars the best choice for many in Qatar and the Gulf, the report adds.
“The automobile industry needs large numbers of workers, as their number in one factory reaches more than 20,000 workers, and the secret of the low price of Chinese cars is mainly due to the low cost of labour there, compared to the markets of Japan, America and Europe. The cost of a worker in Europe ranges between 2,000 and 3,000 euros per month, the cost of a worker in Japan is 4,000 dollars, while the cost of a worker in China may not exceed 300 dollars,” Al Sabaei said.
A Qatari car expert Saad Al-Ahmad believes that Chinese vehicles are good “mechanically” compared to their price, but they do not compare to the quality of Japanese vehicles, for example, pointing out that the true value of Chinese cars will actually become clear after five years from now, when they have crossed the barrier of 100,000 or 150,000 kilometers on the streets of Qatar.
Al-Ahmad said that the high temperatures in Qatar during summer, in addition to the lack of significant experience among mechanics in the field of car repair in handling Chinese cars are the biggest challenges facing Chinese vehicles in the country.
Qatari car enthusiast Mohammed Al-Jaber said Qatar is an open market that accommodates everyone.
He said that the competition between Chinese car companies and other traditional cars was in the interest of the customer, as this competition has established the idea of diversification and all companies try to satisfy the customer.
The director of a car agency in Qatar – who preferred not to reveal his name – said that Chinese cars are actually enjoying wide popularity at this time among consumers in Qatar and the Gulf, especially among young people, due to their reasonable cost, in addition to their innovative and unique designs. But he expressed his fears about Chinese cars in general, and said that the lifespan of any Chinese car does not exceed five years, after which it loses its value and quality for several reasons, including availability of spare parts.
In response, Al-Sabai said the Chinese company, Chery, has a huge center in Jebel Ali in the UAE that provides spare parts to Qatar within days. The lifespan of a Chinese car is almost equal to that of its European and American counterparts if it is maintained and serviced regularly, he says.
The Gulf countries are very hot during summer, which is why Chinese companies have provided a super-high-performance thermal insulator that gives the car a distinct coolness from the inside, a car enthusiast said.
A Qatari citizen did not hide his admiration for the vehicles China offers. He said that Chinese cars provide specifications similar to those available in German, American and Japanese cars, and their prices are very less.
He said that Chinese cars are sweeping the Qatari and Gulf markets, “and are clearly spreading in our streets, and no one can deny that.”
