Going once... 50 cars to go under the hammer in Dubai every day

Fans of Japanese vehicles in the UAE will soon have a reason to rejoice as Dubai Auto Auction (DAA) officially opens its doors to the public.
A joint venture between three companies - two of which are based in Japan - the DAA will import quality Japanese vehicles into Dubai from Japan, and auction them to customers who do not have access to Japanese cars directly. The DAA's initial plan is to auction 50 cars on a daily basis to its customers.
Speaking at a Press conference on Thursday, officials from the three companies shared details on the launch and upcoming auctions.
Rehman Chaudhry Afzalur, chief executive officer of Quetta Trading Co, a used car and spare parts exporter based in Japan, said that the plan was to auction over 3,000 used cars per month. The first auction will be held in October later this year at the company's grand opening.
"We have plans to auction up to 5,000 cars per month as time goes on," Afzalur said. "We have already started auctioning some cars, so we aren't new to the market, but we will scale our operations once the grand opening is done. Soon we will be auctioning over a 100 cars per day. Our aim is to become the biggest and the best place that customers can go to when looking to purchase a used car in the UAE." Asked if the company had plans to auction brand new models in the future, Afzalur said that "it was to soon to say."
The live auctions will feature a variety of used Japanese cars and will take place every day except Fridays. Quetta Trading Co, which is the DAA's parent company, will provide the vehicles.
Mohammad Zohaib Khan, director of Al Zohaib Motors, also shed light on the type of cars that will be up for auction.
"The age of the car does not matter. We look at the cleanliness of the car, its mileage, its quality and condition. If it ticks all these boxes, then it is acceptable for us and we will bring it here for auction."
He also revealed that the company had plans to stream the auctions online for viewers. "At a later stage, we plan to include an option where bidders will be able to place their bids for a car online."
Asked what the affect of the VAT will be on the company's plans, he said: "The VAT will not affect us much because most of our cars are for exports only."
Takaaki Tsubouchi, president of Nagoya Daihatsu Co, noted that Japanese vehicles have a proven track record with customers, and many opt for such vehicles due to their safety features and value for money. Speaking on the demand for used Japanese vehicles, he revealed that their customers are mostly from African and central Asian states. "We see big opportunities in the African market in the coming years, as demand from that region continues to grow."
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com