DUBAI, UAE — An increasing number of female customers in the GCC are being drawn to luxury vehicles as the Gulf region expects a promising growth trajectory for the luxury car market, Richard Leopold, Regional Director of Bentley for the UK, the Middle East, Africa, and India, told TRENDS in an exclusive interview.
The economic stability and increased business activity in the Middle East have resulted in a boost in demand for Bentley’s entire portfolio of vehicles. “This upward trend is coupled with an evident shift in the demographics of Bentley’s clientele,” he pointed out.
While sharing his insights on the sustainability drive in the Gulf region, Leopold highlighted the brand’s commitment to a greener future aligns with the rising demand for environmentally friendly luxury vehicles in the region.
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What is Bentley doing to promote sustainability, especially in the GCC and Middle East? Do you see a demand for environmentally friendly vehicles?
Bentley has been an industry-leader in reducing the environmental impact of our factory in Crewe, UK, which has been certified carbon neutral since 2019 by the Carbon Trust. This has been achieved by ensuring that up to 40 percent of the factory’s electricity comes from solar power alone and ensuring that less than 1 percent of the factory waste goes to landfills.
In the Middle East specifically, we are proud that our entire retailer network across 10 countries has achieved carbon-neutral certification in 2022. Additionally, we introduced the Flying Spur Hybrid in the region which has been an incredible success – ahead of the pre-launch of the first ever fully electric Bentley in 2025.
With the global recession and inflation, are clients buying luxury cars or are they shifting to middle-class vehicles?
The Middle East has seen a period of economic stability, with the GCC specifically enjoying increased business activity across the region, which has led to increased demand across our entire portfolio of vehicles, with a healthy growth trajectory projected for the rest of 2023.
Globally, we delivered for the first time over 15,000 cars, with the Middle East representing 6 percent of total sales in 2022. Our luxury SUV Bentayga remains our best-selling model, accounting for 42 percent of total sales and establishing itself as the most successful luxury SUVs in the world.
What do clients look for nowadays when purchasing a luxury car in the GCC?
Personalization is a major focus for all of our clients, and through our bespoke commissioning division, Mulliner, we offer an unrivalled opportunity for Bentley models to be created as truly unique cars that express personal tastes.
Equally important is the high standards and expectations of customers across the region, and we are confident our dealers deliver the outstanding service through state-of-the-art showrooms that is expected from the Bentley brand.
Is the region’s demand for customized cars still high, or has it been impacted by the global economic crisis? What do clients look for in customization?
Demand for customization remains high in the GCC, with the Bentley Mulliner creations continually being a key performer for Bentley. Whilst client demands vary when it comes to customization, we recently launched a Special Edition series to officially launch the Bentayga Extended Wheelbase in Qatar.
The Qatar Editions by Mulliner specificationsa bespoke paint that was inspired by the Qatari flag, with each model hosting unique specification to celebrate the country.
What are the current challenges in the luxury market, and what are your expectations for the GCC luxury car market in 2023?
We expect the GCC luxury market to continue growing and our plans at Bentley are aligned to this dynamic. Our local customers always look for new products and innovations, so we aim to continuously update and refresh our range.
The new Bentayga EWB, offering the ultimate package for luxury and wellness, has driven renewed interest in our Bentayga range. And our New Flying Spur Hybrid, with V6 performance and ultra-low emissions, demonstrates how luxury and performance can still be delivered in a sustainable way. The ability of our Mulliner Division to create endless opportunities for bespoke creations allows us to meet the demands of the region.
We are also seeing that female customers are becoming a larger portion of our customer demographic and we strive to ensure our vehicles meet their expectations even more.