It’s difficult not to see Liberty Automobiles premises while driving down SHK Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Road in Sharjah, UAE – it is one of the largest GM showrooms in the world. And there, claiming pride of place, the Opel lightening flash announces its presence to passing motorists. The authorized GM dealer has been selling Opels in the UAE since February 2013 when the brand returned to the region after a brief absence.
In February 2013 Liberty Automobiles celebrated the comeback of the brand.
“People are warming to the idea of Opel, especially since we have long term plans for the brand here in the UAE,” said Gilbert Nassar, General Manager, Sales & Marketing, Liberty Automobiles Company. And the Change your Mindset campaign seems to be leaving a mark on customers in the region as Opel is now viewed in a positive light: “It’s a great car for great people. It’s German and has the best German engineering, and people know that,” Gilbert said. Building brand loyalty, however, will take some more work: “We haven’t been selling Opels for very long. It takes time to build loyalty; we know it’s a long journey and we are prepared for it.”
On offer in the United Arab Emirates: Corsa, Astra, Insignia, Zafira Tourer and the Meriva.
Liberty’s two locations in the UAE are selling around 20 cars a month, and the number is set to increase. The Corsa, Astra, Insignia, Zafira and Meriva are offered on sale to UAE customers, with the Opel OPC variants currently claiming bragging rights as the most popular. The new powerful, athletic design associated with Opel is also leaving its mark, with customers attracted to the new styling that has become synonymous with the Rüsselsheim brand. “It’s all about lifestyle in the UAE, which is why Opel is proving to be a popular choice. We have a wide and growing customer based, aged from 21 to 50,” Gilbert remarked.
The future looks bright for Opel
Even though Opel-badged cars rub shoulders with more luxurious brands, they hold their own in the glitzy UAE throughways, including the ever-popular Dubai. There has also been a noticeable take up of Opels by expats, who know the quality behind the badge. And, according to Gilbert, the future looks bright for Opel in the UAE where the brand is expected to flourish, especially with the new models planned for the coming years.
At the helm
Gilbert Nasser has been through the entire spectrum of dealership operations from administration to service, so it’s no surprise he was hand-picked to bring Opel back to the region after the brand’s brief hiatus. After moving to Australia with his family when civil war broke out in his native Lebanon, he joined a small car dealership in Melbourne as a Sales Coordinator – and has never looked back since. Gilbert, who read for a Masters in Sales and Marketing, took on a role as Branch Manager at a dealership in Dubai in 1991 and six years later he joined the GM network, working with Hummer, Cadillac and Chevrolet along the way.
In 2013, he became Opel Brand Manager and a year later took on the role as General Manager Sales and Marketing for the entire GM range. Today, Liberty Automobiles is one of the largest GM dealers in the UAE and has won the coveted Grandmasters Award – a global GM award which recognizes outstanding dealers – for eight consecutive years.
The series is aimed at raising awareness of Opel’s presence in countries and territories outside Europe. It is a lighthearted look into how the brand affects people’s lives and the passion around the badge, be it from customers, dealers, employees, or people interested in Opel.
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