Al Nabooda Automobiles is investing Dh900 million for expansion across the UAE and building the world’s largest Audi sales terminal in Dubai, according to chief executive officer K. Rajaram.

Most of the projects are nearly completed or already started, Rajaram told reporters at a news conference on Monday.

“This is a significant investment by the company in the future of the UAE,” he said, adding that Al Nabooda has not borrowed money as a majority of showrooms are being built entirely by internal resources. Al Nabooda is the sole distributor of the Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen brands in Dubai and other emirates excluding Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

Regarding automobiles industry in the country, he mentioned that there is positive growth and it will continue by the end of 2012. The company sells 7,000 units per year and wants to push 10,000 units per annum in the next 2-3 years including all three brands, Rajaram told Khaleej Times.

The growth in sales is about 25 per cent in the first six months of the year, compared to same period last year, he added.

Most of the company’s showrooms, he said, are coming at Shaikh Zaid Road (SZR) and the reason is that “We don’t want to move away from SZR as this is the hub of car showrooms here.”

Creating world-class facilities in Dubai, Fujairah and Sharjah, the investment covers ten individual projects, including the largest Audi new car sales terminal in the world on SZR, which will be completed in September at a cost of Dh118.5 million. “….. The investment programme underlines our intention to lead the market for many years ahead. The new facilities we are creating to showcase the Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen brands provide the most powerful evidence of our commitment to our business partners, to our customers, and to the local communities where we operate,” Rajaram said.

Before the end of the year, the auto dealer will start operations from a new Dh85.5 million combined multi-brand facility in Fujairah comprising individual showrooms for all three brands and a combined after sales centre.

One of the world’s largest Porsche showrooms will open next year, also on SZR at a cost of Dh144 million. In July next year work will be completed on another facility in Sharjah featuring all three brands’ showrooms and a combined workshop. The next phase will see completion of a combined Audi and Volkswagen workshop in Dubai by the end of next year.