Tripoli, 25 September:
American motorcycle giant Harley-Davidson is planning further . . .[restrict]expansion in the Middle East and North Africa following the October opening of new showrooms in Abu Dhabi and Algeria.
Country manager for Harley-Davidson Middle East and North Africa, Paul De Jongh, told Arabian Business Magazine that they hoped Tunisia, Libya, Iraq and Pakistan would be future markets in which they could have a presence. “We know we have got customers in those countries. We see them during rallies. We hear from them often,” he added.
Last year, Rob Lindley, managing director and vice president for Harley-Davidson Middle East and North Africa, said that discussions had been underway to open a dealership in Libya, but these had been postponed due to last year’s revolution.
The news will be welcomed by the motorcycle fraternity in Libya, where motorbikes, including the ‘chopper’ style made famous by Harley-Davidson, are popular.
When earlier this year, Italy handed by to Libya, seized Qaddafi assets including an island estate and a luxury Rome flat, the haul included two motorcycles, one of which was a Harley-Davidson. [/restrict]
