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UAE: Car ownership more popular than pre-Covid-19, finds survey

Dubai - Around 34 per cent believe car ownership will be a greater necessity in the coming decade.

The UAE residents’ preference for car ownership has increased since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic due to safety and precaution reasons, revealed a new survey released on Tuesday.

The third edition of the Global Automotive Mobility Study found that recent Covid-19 led disruption has led to many consumers in the UAE valuing car ownership more highly with 27 per cent now considering car ownership more important and 16 per cent much more important than in the previous report released in 2018.

In terms of the coming decade, around one-third of respondents also expect car ownership to be much more necessary –with 19 per cent and 15 per cent conveying it will be more important and much more important, respectively.

Around 34 per cent believe car ownership will be a greater necessity in the coming decade.

The study collected insights from around 8,500 respondents across 13 major countries, including the UAE

“Since the Covid-19 outbreak, cars have played an even bigger part in people’s lives because of the protection and independence they offer. The crisis has influenced car ownership intentions, with UAE consumers in particular expressing a need for the sense of security,” says Joseph Salem, regional practice leader transportation at Arthur D. Little.

One-third of UAE respondents cited environmental activism as a primary reason behind them reconsidering car ownership, with nine per cent saying environmental awareness activities was very much a factor behind their views and 24 per cent claiming it had somewhat contributed.

“When it comes to arranging test drives and finalizing purchases, more than two-thirds of our UAE respondents prefer person-to-person interaction. Transparency, customer-centricity, and quality of information is widely regarded as the most important factors for a positive customer experience during the car purchase journey, followed by personal consultation by a product expert and achieving the best bargain possible. These aspects seem likely to remain in place regardless of a global pandemic,” Salem noted. — waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com