Geneva International Motor Show discontinued, to move permanently to Qatar

The Geneva International Motor Show, one of the world’s most famous motor exhibitions and one of the motoring calendar’s most important events for almost 120 years, will no longer happen. Instead, the organisers have decided to permanently move it to Qatar, said news reports.

A Facebook post from the show's official account stated that the Geneva show is being discontinued. However, following the show in 2023, organizers will continue holding the event branded as the ‘Geneva International Motor Show Qatar’ in Doha. The 2024 edition will run from November 27 to December 6 this year.

The show’s move from Europe to the Middle East began in 2021, when a deal was struck between the organizers and Qatar’s tourism board to share hosting rights. The original plan was for an annual auto show in Geneva, with a biennial event in Doha — which would also be called the Geneva International Motor Show.

The Comité permanent du Salon international de l’automobile Foundation, which organises the Geneva show, said the decision was the result of ‘too many uncertainties linked to the automotive industry’ and ‘the eroded attractiveness of the major European shows.’

The foundation also requested it be dissolved, stating “this decision follows the recognition that market conditions in Europe are not conducive to the success of future editions.”

Alexandre de Senarclens, the Foundation’s president, cited competition from the Paris and Munich shows as one of the reasons for the Swiss show’s winding up.

The first-ever Geneva International Motor Show was held in 1905, and in the years since, it has been the venue for the reveal of landmark cars like the Jaguar E-Type, Lamborghini Miura, Porsche 356, Aston Martin Vantage, and the original Range Rover.

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