Top 6 automakers' sales, ranking in the Gulf region

Sept 4 - High energy prices may be spoiling the party for automakers in North America, Europe and Japan, but they are providing a haven in the Middle East, where oil riches are fuelling a double-digit rise in vehicle sales.

Following are car sales figures for the top automakers in the six countries comprising the Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates.

No official data exists on the market's overall vehicle sales, but industry executives expect sales of new vehicles in the GCC market to grow to around 1.2 million cars and light trucks this year, up about 10 percent from 2007, and continue rising at a similar clip for at least five years.

2007 JAN-JUNE 2008 1) Toyota Motor 420,000 (+19%) 260,000 (+31%) 2) General Motors 128,150 (+ 1%) 66,800 (+ 7%) 3) Nissan Motor 126,000 (+16%) 74,200 (+27%) 4) Mitsubishi Motors 97,390 (+30%) 49,940 (+ 9%) 5) Hyundai Motor 73,850 (+15%) 43,600 (+22%) 6) Honda Motor 49,580 (+30%) 31,860 (+52%) (Sources: companies)

Provided by Reuters