Market share of leading car brands in Qatar 2021, by select brand

In 2021, the best-selling car brand in Qatar was Toyota with about 31.6 percent share of new car sales. It was followed by Nissan with a market share of 11.9 percent.

GCC automobile trends

  The automotive manufacturers worldwide recognize the importance of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, with the noticeable expansion of the region’s vehicles market over the years. It is a promising market for both mass-market vehicle manufacturers and companies manufacturing premium vehicles. Premium vehicles have been gaining popularity in countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In 2019, the three most searched for car models above 240 thousand Emirati dirhams in the UAE were Mercedes S-Class, LR Range Rover, and Porsche Cayenne. The GCC region has been witnessing an increase in the aftermarket and used car sales volume with an expectation in 2018 of reaching almost 40 billion U.S. dollars by 2024. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic that occurred in the early months of 2020, the public started changing their preference from buying new cars to used cars instead. This was a result of reduced consumer confidence and financial consciousness that came with the uncertainty.

Qatar automobile industry

Qatar has a very promising and quick growing vehicle market in the GCC. In 2019, the number of passenger cars sold was almost 40 thousand, and the number of commercial vehicles was almost eight thousand. The automobile industry in Qatar depends on factors such as the availability of workers, government support, continuous research and development efforts, and geographic advantages. The country had the second-highest road density in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region of more than 866 meters of road per square kilometer in 2020. The industry has shown a great growth potential, with the country’s economic development and increasing household purchasing power. However, the car market in Qatar was strongly affected by the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak. It has led to a significant drop in car sales compared to 2019.