Geneva Motor Show set to spawn biennial event in Qatar from 2022

The organisers of the Geneva Motor Show have announced that the event will spawn a separate biennial event in Qatar.

Announced today at a press conference held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, one of Europe’s most famous motor shows is set to move in part to the Middle East thanks to a new deal with Qatar Tourism.

It will be renamed as the Qatar Geneva International Motor Show and will take place in Qatar’s capital Doha every two years.

However, organisers have confirmed to the PA news agency that the event will still take place in Geneva on an annual basis.

The next event is planned to take place in Geneva in February next year, which will be followed up by a separate event in Doha planned for ‘autumn 2022 or 2023’.

Maurice Turrettini, president of the Permanent Committee of the Geneva International Motor Show, said: “We are very proud and honoured that Qatar Tourism has put their trust in us for the conception of the new motor show in Doha.

“Our partnership is the result of very trusting and constructive discussions from day one. The joint forces with Qatar Tourism empower us to focus on the upcoming 91st edition of GIMS in February 2022, where we will be able to gather ideas and learnings for the new motor show in Doha.”

Organisers have said that exhibitors and fans should ‘exercise patience’ while the Doha plans are underway, and that the full concept of the show going forward won’t be revealed until next year.

The Geneva Motor Show has taken place since 1905, but was cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In May it was announced the show, which welcomed more than 600,000 visitors when it last took place in 2019, would make a full return in 2022.