The easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions has also helped as the operators said they have started receiving some a good number of customers from neighbouring GCC countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman, who mostly seek 4x4 vehicles that are generally no more than six years old.
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The sellers point outed that the demand for Japanese and American pickups and SUVs exceeds the vehicles on display, which has led to a rise in the prices of such vehicles by around 12-15% as compared to the summer months.
They observed that Mawater City sees more customers after 4pm every day from various sections of society, including citizens, expatriates and visitors from other GCC countries.
Meanwhile, a number of people who frequent Mawater City described it as an "excellent" destination and appreciated the efforts of the entities concerned for creating such a successful place, especially because it includes a variety of showrooms that display both used and new vehicles of different types. Besides, customers from other GCC countries said the used vehicles they see on display at Mawater City have done fewer miles compared to similar vehicles sold in their countries, in addition to being in good condition as they have not been involved in major road accidents.
Salem al-Yafei, a Qatari customer, said he recently visited Mawater City looking for a Japanese 4x4 vehicle made between 2012 and 2015 for use during the winter camping season. He said such models usually cost between QR90,000 and QR110,000, which are reasonable prices depending on the overall condition of the vehicle. Al-Yafei added that he would sell the vehicle after the conclusion of the winter camping season.
Ahmed Deyan Ahmed, an employee at a showroom in Mawater City, stressed that the demand is growing for advanced SUVs as many customers prefer to buy them ahead of the camping season. He explained that while new vehicles have almost stable prices, the prices of used vehicles can drop or increase according to the season. This season, the prices have gone up by almost up to 15%, he added.
Saad al-Otaibi, a customer from Kuwait, said he came to Mawater to buy a used 4x4 vehicle and take it back to Kuwait for desert and beach trips there. He added that the vehicles sold in Qatar are in much better shape than those sold elsewhere in this segment.
Faraj al-Dalmani, another customer from Kuwait, said visitors to Mawater City can find various types of good SUVs and 4x4s with low mileage and excellent prices that are hard to find anywhere else.