Car decorations big business in Ajman

While the UAE National Day was a time for many to declare their patriotism, for a small band of car accessory dealers in Ajman it also meant a tidy profit through decorating cars with the nation's colours and images that fit the occasion.

Traders in Ajman's Karama area said trimming a vehicle with graphics and pictures of the UAE leadership costs between Dh600 and Dh6,000, depending on the style and quality of materials.

The favourite images are of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minster of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Images of Their Highnesses, Sup-reme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates, and the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, acclaimed as the founder of the UAE, are also in much demand.

The traders said customers wanted their cars and four-wheel drive vehicles decorated with colourful images of the UAE leaders, flags, ribbons and national day greetings in English and Arabic.

The accessories and car polishing shops in the area stopped their regular business for the entire week leading up to the National Day to focus only on car decoration. And while rumours circulate around the world about the country's financial dire straits, for them it was business as usual.

"There is said to be an economic slowdown, but we are happy with the volume of business. We got customers even from Oman. National Day celebrations will end today and we will be busy removing the decorations. These are graphic stickers printed and pasted on cars and, depending on the design and sizes, we have different options," said Mohammed Ali Ansari from Miad Car Accessories, which is in the business of car window tinting and accessories sales.

"One design for small cars costs Dh1,500 to Dh2,000 and another one of better quality material and intricacy is Dh3,000. Customers select the designs and pictures from our database, and there are packages for Range Rovers, Hummers and even small cars."

Mohammed Al Hussaini, Manager of Bina Issa Car Decoration, said: "There are about 15 shops in Karama, Ajman, that decorate vehicles. Most of our customers are Emiratis. There is a special instruction from the police not to decorate the windows or the windshield. We charge Dh50 per picture that can be pasted on the car body and the minimum expense is Dh300 per car. It takes two to three hours to decorate a vehicle."

Speaking to Emirates Business, a customer, Abdullah Al Housani, said: "I am driving from Ajman to Dubai with a group of friends to show our support to the UAE leadership. This is our way of showing patriotism and a reply to the international media that says Dubai's economy is falling."

Abdul Rahman, a student at the American University of Sharjah, said: "This is the first time I drove all the way to Abu Dhabi for the National Day celebrations. I spent about Dh1,500 to decorate my car."

He said many students use their pocket money to decorate their cars in Ajman.


Clothes in the UAE's colours also popular

Tailoring shops in Ajman were also busy this year filling orders for special flags and costumes in the UAE's colours.

Mohammed Jameel of Kalsum Tailoring and Embroidery has a special catalogue for school uniforms and national day dresses. And he sells T-shirts, churidars, dishdashas, abayas and overcoats in the national colours. Compared to last year, he says business is down because of the recession.

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