It’s the weekend and Muscat is engulfed in a dust storm and high winds. Fortunately living, as I do, in a valley means our building is spared the stronger winds.
Despite the wind, in the evening the pyrotechnic display for the opening of the new Lexus showroom went ahead, I suspect the gas was turned down a bit for the flame throwing from the roof. Though the pyrotechnics were dramatic, the circus performers and video wall grabbed my attention.
The extraordinary windows which also functioned as the vast video wall cover much of the showrooms frontage.
The February 2008 inauguration was attended by Akio Toyoda – grandson of Toyota’s founder – and His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said. This Lexus facility operates as a premium division within the broader Toyota footprint.
Work is currently underway to demolish the adjacent Kia showroom, which will be replaced by a new extension clad in the same rather dreary, grey industrial pre-fab. When finished, I suspect this sprawling site (Toyota, Lexus, Ford and Kia) will solidify this Bahwan operation as the largest automotive complex in the Middle East. Bahwans say that the Al Wattayah service centre is recognised by Toyota, as the largest Toyota service facility in the world
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