Al Nabooda Automobiles, the sole distributor of Volkswagen vehicles in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, has signed a landmark agreement with the UAE's largest car rental company, Thrifty UAE, to supply a range of quality German engineered vehicles for the company's expanding car rental fleet.

The deal sees an initial 300 Volkswagen cars joining the Thrifty UAE fleet, which will be available for both short-term rentals and long-term leasing in the UAE. More vehicles are due to be added during the second half of this year.

"Having introduced the full range of Volkswagen sedan models to the UAE over the last two years, we now have the opportunity to enter the fleet market which requires cars of excellent quality, reliability, and style, suitable for a wide range of drivers," said Thierry Seys, Volkswagen General Manager at Al Nabooda Automobiles. "Tourists and residents alike look for vehicles which are affordable yet they demand high safety and engineering standards. This partnership agreement is significant for Al Nabooda Automobiles as it will bring the best sedan vehicles to drivers in the UAE who appreciate the high performance quality of a brand such as Volkswagen."

Mr Rahul Singh, General Manager of Thrifty, said, "Thrifty is the largest car rental company in the UAE, but until now, our fleet did not feature a large global brand such as Volkswagen. Our customer research indicated a specific interest in leasing and short term rentals of quality engineered cars from Europe and Volkswagen fits that bill perfectly. We believe this is the beginning of a long, fruitful partnership with Al Nabooda Automobiles, one of the most respected car distributors in the region."

The Volkswagen sedan category has gained increasing popularity since the Jetta was introduced in Dubai and the Northern Emirates in 2011.

The launch of the Passat and Polo Sedan in 2012 opened up a large new customer base for Al Nabooda Automobiles with the success of the sedan category a large contributor to the dealers 36% sales increase on 2011.

Seys added, "The UAE leasing market is one of the strongest in the world because of the transient nature of so many residents. A large proportion of drivers choose the convenience and peace of mind that leasing a car brings, and now Thrifty customers will have the opportunity to choose a brand new Volkswagen car which comes with excellent after sales service provided by Al Nabooda Automobiles."

Al Nabooda Automobiles is the sole distributor of the Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen brands in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Established since 1976, the company is now in the midst of an aggressive investment programme worth Dhs900m to enhance and expand operations for all three brands which includes new showrooms in Sharjah and Fujairah.

Thrifty UAE, established in 1989 as part of A.A. Al Moosa Enterprises, has a fleet size in excess of 17,000 vehicles available for lease and short term rentals as per individual customer requirements.

With more than 40 rental locations throughout the UAE, including all leading shopping malls and international airports, the company has a customer base drawn from more than 1,250 businesses comprising most of the Fortune-500 companies in the UAE.