Opensooq, the leading Arabic language classifieds website in the Middle East and North Africa region, published an infographic that details users’ trends in regards to car buying and selling during the holy month of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia, a season when automotive sales surge.
The infographic reveals the most wanted car makes and car models this Ramadan, contrasted with the most frequently listed car models for sale. Furthermore, the data revealed a shift in the times of the day when Saudis are most actively seeking to buy or sell cars.
OpenSooq’s records show that Saudis’ most wanted car make this Ramadan is Mercedes, followed by Lexus, Ford, GMC and KIA. Digging deeper, the data revealed that the most wanted car model is Toyota Camry, followed by Toyota Land Cruiser, Honda Accord, Toyota HiLux and Hyundai Accent, respectively. To segment the data by car type, Saudi buyers’ most wanted Sedan car is Toyota Camry, while the top 4×4 car is Toyota Land Cruiser, the top hatchback car is Toyota Yaris, the top sports car is Ford Mustang and the top pickup truck is Toyota HiLux. On the sellers’ end, the most listed car make for sale this Ramadan is Toyota, followed by Chevrolet, Ford, Hyundai and Renault, respectively.
This Ramadan, Saudis dedicated more time to researching and renewing their car models than any other time in the year. The duration of traffic pickup was 2 hours longer than usual, whereby traffic buildup on OpenSooq takes place over a duration of 19 hours.
Commenting on the recent trends, Head of Business Development at OpenSooq, Anas Elayyan said; “The automotive category on OpenSooq is the most popular all year round, but Ramadan is certainly a peak season for car buying and selling for Saudis. It is also important to mention that the Kingdom leads the used car market in the MENA region and it is forecasted to maintain its position.”
Saudi Arabia is MENA’s largest importer of cars in the region. The Saudi used car market is estimated at over $3.4 billion, while a 29% increase in used car sales over the past five years shows that the sector is expanding. The average car replacement rate in KSA is estimated at 5%.
OpenSooq currently operates in 19 countries in the MENA region; KSA continues to be one of its key markets. The company was established in 2008, and according to a recent Google Study, it is the leading mobile classifieds platform in the region. OpenSooq is a member of iMENA Group, an operator of diversified online businesses across the Middle East and North Africa.