Al Emadi, buyer of the 50,000th Infiniti car, left, with Ciaudano and Itani

DISTRIBUTORS of Audi and Lexus cars have reported strong sales in the region while Infiniti celebrated the sale of its 50,000th car in the Middle East to a buyer in Qatar.

German premium brand Audi had sales rising 20 per cent across the GCC and Levant region with 5,130 vehicles delivered to customers in the first six months of 2013 (2012: 4,274), an all-time Middle East record.

The strongest single market for Audi is the UAE with 2,210 vehicles sold in the first half, representing a growth of 27.2 per cent. The second biggest market is Saudi Arabia, which remains stable with 920 units sold (2012: 915).

Lexus announced a steady increase in sales in the Gulf region with a 26 per cent rise in the first half of 2013 as compared to the same period in 2012. With sales of 17,724 units, Lexus continues to make inroads into the luxury segment.

Infiniti achieved a milestone in the Middle East with the sale of its 50,000th car. The landmark sale of the Infiniti QX56, was made at Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co, the exclusive distributor for Infiniti in Qatar. To mark the occasion, Infiniti presented the buyer, Ahmed Al Emadi, with Infiniti Red Bull Racing VIP hospitality suite tickets at the forthcoming Abu Dhabi Formula One Race and lifetime free servicing. At the presentation ceremony were Francesca Ciaudano, marketing and corporate communications manager, Infiniti in the Middle East, and Abdul Wahab Itani, general manager, Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co.

Infiniti Motor Company Ltd, launched in 1989, is headquartered in Hong Kong.