General Motors recognize new talents at Arabian Horse Design competition

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 09 March 2005 – Creativity, ingenuity and originality were some of the driving attributes behind the winning horses of the General Motors-sponsored design competition, held as part of Dubai’s Celebration of the Arabian Horse.

Agnes Klimaite from Emirates International School rode away with the grand prize of painting a large horse to be displayed prominently on the streets of Dubai before being auctioned for charity, while the runners-up in the small horse category were Maryam Abdullah, Melissa D’Silva, Madiha Muzaffar and Najati Husaini all came from the American University of Sharjah.

Lex Van Brero, Finance Director of General Motors Middle East admired the carefully conceived, innovative designs and congratulated all the artists on their creativity. Winners were inspired by a variety of sources including the old ‘muscle’ car designs of the 50’s, the various GM brand logos, the power of race cars at a professional race track and the distinctive shape of the exterior of a Cadillac.

The large Arabian horse will be displayed at the Trade Centre roundabout on Sheikh Zayed Road, while the four smaller horses will be exhibited at GM’s three retailers in the UAE and the GM regional office at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Photo Caption
Lex Van Brero, Finance Director of General Motors Middle East, joins General Motors’ ‘Celebration of the Arabian Horse’ design competition winners Agnes Klimaite, Maryam Abdullah, Melissa D’Silva, Madiha Muzaffar and Najati Husaini.

CONTACT(S):
Saada Hammad
Communications and Public Relations Manager
General Motors Middle East
Tel (+9714) 3143350
e-mail saada.hammad@gm.com


About GM
General Motors, the world’s largest vehicle manufacturer, was founded in 1908 and has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931. GM today employs about 324,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries. In 2004, GM sold nearly 9 million cars and trucks globally, up 4 percent, and the second-highest total in the company’s history. GM’s global headquarters is in Detroit.

GM has been operating in the Middle East since the early 1940s. GM’s vehicle brands sold in the region are Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, HUMMER, Opel and Saab supported by a unique set of customer-focused services. GM parts and accessories are sold under the GM Parts and ACDelco brands. The regional office in Dubai covers the company’s operations in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq.

In 2004, GM sold more than 88,000 vehicles in the Middle East, representing a 55 percent increase over figures recorded in 2003, and the company continues to introduce pioneering programs in the region. More information on GM and its products can be found on the company’s consumer websites www.gm.com and www.gmarabia.com