"Auto Show"... One Stage, Diverse Tastes
- Zero-profit financing offers stimulate purchases
- After-sales services are a key driver for customers
- Demand for new luxury, sports, hybrid, and electric models
- Off-road and pickup truck accessories for adventures attract youth
- Young women seek technologically advanced small and mid-size cars
- Residents calibrate their purchasing pace based on price, installments, and maintenance
- Comfort and ease of use are the key focus for seniors in vehicles
There is a common business adage that “crowding of customers in the same place does not mean their purchasing goals are identical,” which accurately applies to the Auto World Show 2026 currently underway. While there has been significant foot traffic at the entrances of the International Exhibition Grounds in Mishref, a field investigation conducted by Al-Rai in this regard concluded that visitors exhibit diverse purchasing trends among more than 70 brands, all governed by four main drivers: budget, age, passion, and gender.
Visitors to the Auto World Show 2026 are not all looking for the same vehicle. While young men gathered around off-road vehicles equipped for adventures, small sedans and crossovers with advanced technical features attracted young women. Another segment focused on comparing vehicles based on prices, installment plans, and operating costs, while seniors prioritized comfort and ease of use.
Reflecting the different societal segments’ search for vehicles—some for off-road use, others for city driving, some seeking affordable or mid-range options, and a fourth group focusing on comfort and luxury—the exhibition presents multiple car models. These are offered with financing options, most of which carry zero profit margins, along with complimentary insurance policies and five-year maintenance packages.
In practice, the diversity of visitor interests has turned the exhibition grounds into a miniature car market, alongside car agencies, banks, and insurance companies. This setup allows buyers to compare vehicles, prices, financing options, and services in one location.
Large pickup trucks captured a significant portion of young men’s attention, particularly models that combine power, sporty design, and off-road capability. This includes categories equipped for off-road driving, camping, trips, and adventures. The van segment in this category is no longer just a practical vehicle; the cabin, technology, screens, safety systems, and customization potential have become key attraction factors, transforming the vehicle into a blend of daily use, entertainment, and adventure.
Conversely, compact crossovers have emerged as options that combine the right size for city driving with modern design and advanced technologies. Features include digital screens, cameras, driver-assistance systems, smartphone connectivity, and refined interior and exterior designs.
These choices reflect a shift in the concept of small cars, where technology, features, and design have become integral to purchasing decisions, alongside price, size, and fuel consumption.
Representatives of participating companies told Al-Rai that citizens’ options this year ranged from economical and mid-range vehicles to luxury and sports models, with specifications, prices, and after-sales services serving as key comparison points.
They added that the high level of participation at the exhibition provided an opportunity to compare multiple brands and models in one place, especially with special offers related to financing, insurance, maintenance, and warranties.
For residents, price occupies a prominent position in the selection equation, alongside the monthly installment, fuel consumption, maintenance costs, availability of spare parts, and resale value, with a focus on “sedan” and “crossover” segments featuring small- and medium-displacement engines. Here, the comparison does not stop at the car’s price; it extends to what the user will pay monthly and the total cost of the vehicle over the years of its use.
Among older buyers, priorities differ, as comfort, ease of entry and exit, spaciousness, clarity of controls, and good visibility take precedence over certain advanced technological features. Several models stand out by combining comfort, luxury, and ease of use, while “SUV” models offer a higher seating position that may be more suitable for some users.
Company representatives clarified that purchasing decisions vary according to tastes and needs, but competitive pricing, financing offers, and after-sales services emerged as common factors in attracting potential buyers. Leading among these offers was zero-interest financing for amounts up to 25,000 dinars, with repayment periods extending up to five years, alongside discounts reaching 800 dinars.
They noted that after-sales services have become an integral part of the purchasing decision, with free maintenance offers reaching up to 50,000 kilometers at some exhibitors, and warranties extending in certain cases to 10 years or one million kilometers. Some offers include insurance, while certain hybrid car manufacturers provide free home chargers. Consequently, visitors now have more than one criterion for comparison: the car’s price, the monthly installment, the repayment period, insurance, maintenance, warranty, and fuel consumption.
Alongside the promotional offers, the unveiling and display of new models were among the key attractions. The exhibition saw the reveal of luxury, sports, hybrid, and electric vehicles, as well as other highly anticipated models in the market, allowing attendees to compare technologies, designs, and specifications before making a purchasing decision.
