KSA Market Surge as Women Shop for Cars

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The historical lifting of the women’s driving ban in Saudi Arabia has led to a quarter of the women applying for a driving license. This has opened up a host of incremental opportunities within the auto market with over three-quarters of women who intend to drive (78%) planning to buy a car.

While 24% of women have already applied for a driving license since the country started issuing licenses to female motorists in June 2018, 61% of those of those who haven’t, intend to apply for a license in the future. Reports said fear of driving and safety concerns are the top reasons for women not wanting to drive. 27% feel it is dangerous and fear car accidents, 24% do not know how to drive and 23% believe their husbands/ family members would not allow them to drive.

The auto industry is rejoicing as almost three-quarters of women who intend to drive (78%) plan to buy a car. A majority (84%) say the decision of which car to buy rests in their hands. For those who are not the primary decision maker, almost half (48%) indicated their husbands will be making the decision and a fourth said their father-in-laws (25%) have the final say in the matter.

Women seemed most comfortable starting out with small cars with the largest proportion settling for small sized sedans (16%), followed by medium sized sedans (13%) and then medium SUVs (11%). 3 in 5 women pointed out back cameras and reverse sensing systems are the most desired features in a car. Interestingly, for those who have already applied for a license, smartphone compatibility with calls, music, etc., was the feature which came out on top.

Looking at the time period since the ban was lifted, YouGov BrandIndex data, who conducted the survey, said Toyota emerged as the top car brand for the new drivers with an Index score of 27.1, followed by Mercedes (26.7) and Lexus (24.2). Toyota has dedicated areas in its showroom to all female staff and has set up women-run call centres for enquiries.

The data was collected online by YouGov Omnibus among 431 respondents in Saudi Arabia between 6th and 13th August 2018 using YouGov’s panel of over 6 million people worldwide. YouGov BrandIndex. Data is representative of the adult online population in the country.