Visitors view the booth of Changhe, a Chinese brand automobile, on the 25th Cairo International Motorshow 2018 entitled "Automech Fromula" held in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Sept. 26, 2018. A large hall with separate booths and showrooms hosting several Chinese brands of cars was crowded with visitors during an international motor show held in the Egyptian capital Cairo, reflecting the growing popularity of Chinese cars in Egypt. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

by Mahmoud Fouly

CAIRO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- A large hall with separate booths and showrooms hosting several Chinese brands of cars was crowded with visitors during an international motor show held in the Egyptian capital Cairo, reflecting the growing popularity of Chinese cars in Egypt.

A dozen of Chinese automakers joined the 25th Cairo International Motorshow 2018 entitled "Automech Fromula," held on Sept. 26-30, including Geely, Chery, Brilliance, Zotye, Changan and others.

Geely launches two new cars in the Automech Fromula this year, Emgrand X7 and Imperial. Chery offers Tiggo 4 and Arrizo 5; Brilliance launches V6 and V7; Changan joins with its new V7, and Zotye displays its T600 Coupe.

Liu Shubin, African market director of Geely Automobile International Corporation, said that Geely became No. 1 automaker in China in 2017 by selling 1.24 million cars at home, noting that the brand has also become very popular among Egyptians in recent years.

"In recent years, Egypt has been a very important market for Geely. When Egypt's economy flourished in 2014, Geely's exports to Egypt were about 30,000 to 40,000 vehicles," Liu told Xinhua at the exhibition.

He added that Geely's sales declined in the Egyptian market over the past two years due to Egypt's difficult economic conditions, but the company adapted very quickly to boost its presence in the most populous Arab state.

"With the adjustments made to our vehicles in 2018 and the support of our distributor in Egypt Ghabbour Auto, we are very confident about the increase of our sales in 2019," Liu said, expecting the purchase power in Egypt to rise in 2019 and 2020 due to the ongoing economic growth.

Geely and Chery are partners with Ghabbour Auto, a leading corporation in the automotive industry in Egypt, which is in charge of their marketing, distribution and after-sale services.

Farid Fadel, vice president of Ghabbour Auto's Geely franchise, said that since Geely's collaboration with Ghabbour Auto in 2012, Geely has managed to gain a market share of 8 percent in Egypt, selling about 45,000 cars so far.

"The Egyptian market is very promising with potentials for further expansion, as the number of cars in Egypt is too small compared to its more than 100 million population," Fadel told Xinhua.

As for Chery, it has sold over 12,000 cars in Egypt over the past three years, according to Kamal Naguib, Ghabbour Auto's Chery franchise manager, who expressed confidence about raising the number very soon due to Chery's good name in the Egyptian market.

"Chery has been doing very well for a very long time, especially for the Tiggo 3. Now we're introducing the new generation of Chery, the Arrizo 5 and Tiggo 4. It's a completely new generation with a new technology that will change the market of Chinese cars in Egypt," Naguib told Xinhua in front of a displayed Tiggo 4.

Rania Osama, a lady in her 30s who owns a 2017 Tiggo, said that she was interested in the Chinese section of the auto show, noting that her car has been doing very well since she bought it last year.

"It never breaks down or has had any problems ever since," Osama told Xinhua, adding that the car was recommended by many of her friends before she bought it.

"I see at least 25 Chinese vehicles in the compound where I live in Giza, and I believe Chinese cars are gaining more popularity year after year in Egypt," Osama said.

At another corner of the large hall, Brilliance Bavarian Auto displays its Brilliance V7 that is supported by BMW Group Technology.

"Brilliance has achieved positive results in Egypt since it entered the market in 2006, selling from 10,000 to 15,000 vehicles in the country," said Khaled Saad, general manager of Brilliance Bavarian Auto and head of the Egyptian Automobile Manufacturers Association.

"Chinese automakers in Egypt achieved more than 40 percent of the market share of commercial cars, while private cars have from 15-20 percent of the market share in Egypt," Saad told Xinhua in an interview at the Brilliance booth.

The 25th Cairo International Motorshow 2018, Automech Fromula, comprises 40 car brands out of 48 brands in the Egyptian market in general.

"It is one of the most important auto events in Egypt," Khaled Khafagy, the exhibition manager, told Xinhua.

There are more than 12 Chinese large automakers joining the exhibition this year, he added.

Khafagy pointed out that there's a notable development in the automobile market in Egypt after a decline of sales in the past two years due to Egypt's local currency devaluation in late 2016 as part of the country's ongoing economic reform program.

"With the improvement of Egypt's economic growth, this year the auto market started to flourish and make up for the past decline," he said.

Khafagy said that some Chinese automakers sell up to 9,000 cars per year, which is a good number that reflects their good position in the Egyptian market.

"In fact, the quality and durability of Chinese vehicles and the reliable investors and partners with Chinese automakers have greatly developed over the past couple of years," he said.