Car dealers told to move out of Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi authorities have asked all local car dealers to shift to a new location assigned for vehicle trading nearly 40 km away from the city.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) gave them until the end of June 2011 to complete their relocation to the newly-established Motor World in Shamkha south of the capital, 'Al Khaleej' newspaper said on Tuesday.

The decision by ADDED’s Chairman Nassir Ahmed Al Suwaidi, published in the official gazette, covers all new and used car showrooms in the city.

“According to the decision, no new licences or renewal of existing licences will be given to any new or used car show after June 30 next year until after they shift to the Motor World in Shamkha,” the paper said.

It gave no reason for the move but Abu Dhabi has been locked in a massive development and reorganisation plan within its long-term strategy dubbed Vision 2030. The plan involves infrastructure expansions, relocation of car repair garages, moving construction workers out of the city and other projects. Most of Abu Dhabi’s used car shops are located on the Airport Road, where more than 100 such shops dot both sides of the road. Scores of new car showrooms are also scattered through the city of nearly one million people.