MCLAREN Automotive, whose principal shareholder is Bahrain’s Mumtalakat, and its retail partner for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Al Ghassan Motors, continue expansion in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region with the opening of McLaren Riyadh.  The event was hosted by Al Ghassan Motors president and CEO Sheikh Ghassan A H Al Sulaiman.

McLaren Riyadh is the 43rd global retail location for McLaren Automotive and is the second to open in Saudi Arabia and the sixth in the Middle East with McLaren retailers also located in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait and Manama.

The latest McLaren retail location is situated within Al Ghassan Motors’ new Riyadh facility, located on the main King Abdulaziz Road between the junction of Al Dabab Street and Riyadh Airbase roundabout. The facility will showcase the 12C, the current Middle East Motor Awards Car of the Year and the 12C Spider. It will also display McLaren qualified pre-owned vehicles when the programme is launched in Saudi Arabia later this year. 

A McLaren P1 specialist will also be based in the showroom to meet the needs of customers wishing to purchase the sports car company’s next generation ultimate supercar, of which only 375 cars will be built.  Deliveries to customers are scheduled to start in late 2013.

Sheikh Ghassan said: “We are proud at the pace we have been able to grow our McLaren business in Saudi Arabia and our latest location highlights a vibrant supercar market. Our focus is on continuing to deliver world-class customer service, and opening McLaren Riyadh is one step further to meeting the needs of our McLaren customers in the kingdom.

“Supported by the groundbreaking supercars that McLaren has already launched and plans to bring to market in the coming years, including the McLaren P1, Al Ghassan Motors is fully prepared to ensure that McLaren continues to prosper in Saudi Arabia.”

Ian Gorsuch, McLaren Automotive regional director for the Middle East and Africa, added: “McLaren plan to have 50 retailers around the world by the end of 2013, which is also the year of our 50th anniversary. The achievements of Al Ghassan Motors to date are key to the success of McLaren across the Middle East as we look to establish ourselves as the iconic sports car company.  The opening of our new location in Riyadh gives McLaren enthusiasts, prospects and fans the chance to see first-hand what McLaren do in a very impressive environment.”

McLaren Automotive is a British manufacturer of luxury, high-performance sports cars, located at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) in Woking, Surrey. In the Middle East, the company’s regional head office is located in Bahrain, home to the company’s principal shareholder, Mumtalakat.

Following the company’s global launch in 2010, McLaren Automotive launched the groundbreaking 12C and 12C Spider and, in keeping with its plan to introduce a new model each year, recently unveiled the McLaren P1. The brand continues to expand, operating through a dedicated global network of retailers in every major automotive market.

McLaren has pioneered the use of carbon fibre in vehicle production over the past 30 years.