In this episode of Qatar 365, we get revved up for the biggest auto show in the Middle East and hear from the car companies leading the way towards a greener future.
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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:04 The beating art is here in the halls with the motor show.
00:07 But we are present also at the Lucerne track.
00:10 We are present at the desert, at the Lucerne Boulevard.
00:13 We wanted to create an experience with static,
00:16 but also with dynamic presentations.
00:19 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:22 Hello, and welcome to Qatar 365 with me, Laila Humaira.
00:27 On this episode, we've got a need for speed
00:31 and come face to face with some hot wheels leading
00:34 the way to a greener future.
00:36 The Geneva International Motor Show
00:37 has been showcasing the latest trends in the auto industry
00:41 since 1905.
00:43 This year, for the first time in its history,
00:45 it was held outside Switzerland, right here in Qatar.
00:49 We sent Adel Halim to find out what Gibbs Qatar was all about.
00:53 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:57 [ENGINE REVVING]
01:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:04 You're looking at the brand new McLaren 750S,
01:07 set to be released across the region in December.
01:11 Just one of many big reveals at the inaugural Qatar
01:14 edition of the prestigious Geneva International Motor
01:17 Show.
01:18 That's bringing a serious range of audience
01:20 from the very high net worth individuals
01:22 down to your average fan in front of the products
01:24 which we feel so passionate about.
01:25 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:27 But the 750S was just one of many new product launches
01:31 at the Qatar show.
01:34 10 global premieres, 20 regional reveals,
01:37 30 renowned automakers all under one roof.
01:40 Whether you're a car buyer, collector, or enthusiast,
01:43 GIMS is widely considered the most important auto
01:46 show in Europe.
01:48 Now making its first foray into the Middle East,
01:50 organizers hope GIMS Qatar will soon
01:52 become the most important motor show in the region.
01:56 This is amazing.
01:57 10 brand new cars never seen anywhere in the world.
02:00 And it's not happening in Detroit.
02:02 It's not happening in Frankfurt.
02:03 It's not happening in Paris or Tokyo.
02:05 [MUSIC PLAYING]
02:07 GIMS draws tens of thousands of visitors every year.
02:11 The first motor show was held in Geneva in 1905.
02:14 And by the 1950s, the show attracted
02:17 some of the biggest brands from the UK and US.
02:22 Landing in Qatar this year, the exhibition
02:24 has come a long way.
02:26 What's been the biggest challenge?
02:27 So for us, the first challenge was
02:30 to organize a show that is decentralized,
02:33 so what we call the festival.
02:35 Because the beating art is here in the halls with the motor
02:38 show.
02:39 But we are present also at the Lucille track.
02:42 We are present in the desert, at the Lucille Boulevard.
02:45 So we wanted to create an experience with static,
02:49 but also with dynamic presentations.
02:51 [APPLAUSE]
02:53 Ladies and gentlemen, the three new generations
02:56 of Volkswagen SUVs coming to the Middle East.
03:00 The Middle East for us matches perfectly,
03:03 because in the Middle East, the Arabian culture is all
03:05 about family and relationship.
03:07 We are a love brand, a family brand.
03:09 And that's what fits perfectly to the Arabian culture.
03:12 Now from one iconic German brand to another.
03:16 For Mercedes-Benz, it's about bringing both luxury
03:19 and sustainability, because that's what we believe
03:21 the future of luxury is.
03:23 Mercedes made multiple regional reveals in Qatar,
03:26 from traditional combustion engines to electric vehicles.
03:30 We focus on building desirable cars.
03:33 We focus on the top end growth in the luxury markets.
03:36 And this is the reason for luxury.
03:38 And this isn't the end of the road for Gims Qatar.
03:41 The show will return to Doha every two years,
03:44 coinciding with the Formula One Qatar Grand Prix.
03:47 For us, it was great to have a global partner, a global brand,
03:52 and their expertise.
03:53 And so partnering with Geneva was, I think,
03:55 a very, very smart choice.
03:57 It's similar in terms of the look, the feel,
04:00 the professionalism.
04:01 And that's what makes it so special.
04:03 Well, those fancy cars can reach impressively top speeds.
04:09 But can they go as fast as the cars racing on this track?
04:14 This is the Lusail International Circuit,
04:17 home of all things motorsports in Qatar.
04:20 Fresh from hosting another thrilling edition of the Formula
04:23 One Qatar Grand Prix, the circuit
04:25 is gearing up to host the motorcycling equivalent,
04:28 the MotoGP race.
04:30 I caught up with Amro Al-Hamad, the CEO of Lusail International
04:34 Circuit, to get his insights on what
04:37 it takes to keep up with the leading
04:39 racing tracks of the world.
04:43 Now, Amro, the circuit has just hosted the successful comeback
04:47 of the Formula One Grand Prix here in Qatar.
04:49 How did you feel about the whole event?
04:51 It was really exciting, welcoming everybody
04:53 in our new facility.
04:55 I wouldn't say it is renovated.
04:57 I would say it's a brand new facility.
04:59 And we've broken a couple of records here.
05:02 Number one was actually building the facility
05:04 or getting the facility ready to host the F1 race.
05:07 And the record time, we've had a huge attendance,
05:10 126,000 people over three days, compared to 15,000 people
05:15 a day in 2021.
05:17 So that is telling us anything.
05:18 It's just telling us how motorsports now
05:20 is becoming really a popular sport or an event
05:23 to actually watch in the state of Qatar.
05:26 Now, that is just the start of the beginning of back-to-back-
05:31 to-back events for the Lusail International Circuit.
05:34 Can you share some of those exciting plans?
05:36 This is absolutely correct.
05:37 We've just finished now with the 2023 Formula One race.
05:40 And next, we have the MotoGP happening
05:43 on the 17th to 19th of November, 2023,
05:47 followed by the Middle East and North Africa Karting
05:49 Championship that's happening in December.
05:51 And then we move to 2024.
05:53 We have the prologue for the World Endurance Championship,
05:56 then the first round of the championship,
05:58 and followed back again with the MotoGP happening in March.
06:02 Now, this year in particular, the Geneva International Motor
06:05 Show was held at the same time as the F1.
06:08 How has that boosted motorsports and overall the automotive
06:12 industry in Qatar?
06:13 The presence of the Geneva International Motor
06:15 Show in Qatar, side by side with the Formula One race
06:21 happening here, made it all a motorsports festival,
06:24 more than just two separate events.
06:25 And they completed, actually, each other.
06:27 We saw a lot of attention and a lot of eagerness
06:31 from the people to actually get into motorsports.
06:34 We're going to have this festival happening
06:35 for the next 10 years.
06:37 It's undeniable that Qatar is a motorsport country.
06:40 From the Formula One, to the MotoGP,
06:42 to the Qatar International Rally,
06:44 and off-road and karting championships.
06:47 What's driving this interest and the need for speed?
06:50 Our whole idea that we have in mind now
06:53 is to actually promote for motorsports.
06:56 We need to see younger youth now aspiring
06:59 to be part of our motorsports journey.
07:01 And bringing all these international events into Qatar
07:04 helps into benefiting from or reaching that goal.
07:08 And finally, we know that you're a thrill seeker
07:11 and a motorhead yourself.
07:12 What's your favorite way to blow off some steam,
07:14 whether it's on two wheels or four?
07:16 Yes, I was involved in motorsports
07:18 and that was my aspiration to end up
07:22 in doing a job like I'm doing now.
07:23 I always tell the people I'm not doing a job.
07:25 I just do what I love every single day.
07:28 Going back to what I enjoy doing now,
07:30 I'm not out of motorsports.
07:32 I use every single chance to get myself
07:34 into a car around the track.
07:36 And majority of the time now I'm doing
07:37 motocross and enduro riding.
07:39 Now we ditch the diesel and shift gears
07:45 to look at what's driving the industry
07:47 towards a greener future.
07:48 Electric vehicles are becoming a prominent feature
07:51 at auto shows all over the world.
07:53 In fact, EV sales are set to grow by 16% by 2035.
07:58 I found out why more people and companies
08:01 are charging up to go full speed ahead with electric cars.
08:05 (upbeat music)
08:07 34 days, 12 countries, 8,000 kilometres
08:16 and two fully electric Volkswagen ID.Bus vans.
08:21 Led by Frank Rindepnecht, two crews made the journey
08:24 from Geneva to Doha to push the limits of electro mobility.
08:29 There were many challenges, many problems to overcome.
08:33 It was a trip full of emotions, full of excitement,
08:36 full of great people to have met,
08:40 see landscapes which are extraordinary.
08:43 So it was intensive and in a way,
08:47 probably a once in a lifetime.
08:49 The historic event saw Frank and his team
08:52 being the first to cross Saudi Arabia
08:54 from West to East in electric cars.
08:57 The trip wasn't just a display of pioneering spirit,
09:00 it also was a resounding success
09:03 for innovation and electric vehicles.
09:06 We need to get away from fossil energies
09:09 to renewable energies.
09:11 And already this step in the thinking
09:13 is a big step towards that goal,
09:17 not just to consume and then evaporate it into the air,
09:22 but to make it a circular industry.
09:25 The Volkswagen ID.Bus may look a little bulky
09:28 for a long cross country journey,
09:30 but it was the obvious choice for the Tour d'Excellence.
09:34 The ID.Bus is like an iconic car.
09:37 It goes back to the 70s, a travelling, serving car.
09:41 And we needed space, we needed space for spare tyres,
09:44 for car checks and all different kinds of things.
09:47 From vans to cars to even buses like these,
09:50 electric vehicles are a big feature here
09:53 at the Geneva International Motor Show.
09:55 Qatar's Mawassalat unveiled this mini bus
09:58 that's not only fully electric, but also driverless.
10:03 The buses mark another step in the partnership
10:06 between Mawassalat and Chinese firm Yitong
10:09 to boost the use of EV buses for the public.
10:13 Meanwhile, new and up-and-coming EV brands
10:16 like Lucid, Vinfast and Xceed also unveiled new models,
10:20 heating up the competition in an increasingly crowded race.
10:24 Another brand looking to expand its reach in the Middle East
10:28 is Link & Co.
10:30 Our flagship model is Link & Co. 09.
10:33 This car is a seven-seater SUV.
10:35 So in this GCC region, I think this car is going to be a huge success.
10:40 To help them capture the Qatari market,
10:42 Link & Co. is teaming up with Qatar's MBK Group
10:45 and AutoClass Cars.
10:47 The renowned dealerships have decades of experience
10:50 distributing prestigious brands like Mercedes and Harley-Davidson.
10:56 Link & Co. is just more than a car.
10:58 And for us to have Link & Co. was not just having another brand
11:01 to our portfolio, despite having a lot of competitors in the market.
11:05 So we wanted to have something different.
11:07 That's about the connectivity, Eastern-Western connectivity.
11:10 As more companies accelerate their plans to go big and go green,
11:15 Frank and his team are all charged up for their next adventure.
11:19 In our bucket list, we have Patagonia, South of South America.
11:24 Whether we can do this trip electrically or in a regular car,
11:28 we don't know yet.
11:29 But again, what's important about is to dream,
11:33 and dreaming is great.
11:35 From the newly upgraded tracks of the Lusail International Circuit
11:41 to the show-stopping displays at the Geneva International Motor Show,
11:44 we hope you've enjoyed the ride.
11:46 But that's all the time we have for now.
11:48 For more, check out euronews.com and connect with us through our hashtag.
11:52 Thanks for watching, and we'll see you next time on Qatar 365.
11:56 (upbeat music)
11:58 [BLANK_AUDIO]