Nasser bin Khaled and Mercedes-Benz celebrate Jubilee; launch of SLS Roadster marks the occasion

Nasser Bin Khaled, one of Qatar’s pioneering business conglomerates, recently celebrated its 50^th anniversary with the world’s leading automotive brand and the inventor of the automobile, Mercedes-Benz.

Following a plethora of milestones which earmarked the year 2010, particularly Mercedes-Benz celebration of 125 years of continued innovation and excellence, Mercedes-Benz and Nasser Bin Khaled commemorated their 5-decade illustrious track record in Qatar with a Gala evening that saw in attendance scores of high-level invitees and customers such as HE Sheikh Nawaf Nasser Bin Khaled Al Thani, Chairman of Nasser Bin Khaled, Mike Belk, President and CEO of Daimler MENA and Khaled Shaa’ban, General Manager of NBK Automobiles.

The occasion was also culminated with the 50^th Jubilee cake, perched atop Mercedes-Benz very first wooden three-wheeler, and the launch of the SLS Roadster, Mercedes-Benz latest super sports car which is considered to be the dream vehicle of many around the globe.

HE Sheikh Nawaf Nasser Bin Khaled Al Thani said: “To be strongly associated with a very coveted brand the calibre of Mercedes-Benz is truly an honour for all of us, here, at Nasser Bin Khaled. Commemorating 50 years of growing success is a solid testament to our team’s efforts to uphold our core philosophy of true commitment to our brands. Mercedes-Benz and Nasser Bin Khaled share similar underlying values which have played a central role in turning our group into Mercedes-Benz sole and preferred partner in Qatar.  Nasser Bin Khaled combines unparalleled market acumen with internationalism in standards in-line with what Mercedes-Benz expects from its partners worldwide and this Jubilee highly accentuates this fact.”

“As Qatar moves forward, the vision of His Highness the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, is unfolding in the form of impressive achievements. NBK’s success has played a central role in Qatar’s overall rapid development and will keep contributing to the growth of the economy and community.” added Sheikh Nawaf.

Mike Belk, President and CEO of Daimler MENA said: “This is truly a wonderful occasion and one with a very powerful impact on Mercedes-Benz worldwide. Without the persistent efforts and solid commitment of Nasser Bin Khaled, we couldn’t have become the leading sports and luxury automotive brand in this market which is ranked very high on our business agendas. We are very proud to have reached this milestone and we thank the NBK team for their illustrious achievements over the past fifty years.”

Khaled Shaa’ban, General Manager of NBK Automobiles – exclusive dealers of Mercedes-Benz in Qatar said: “This Jubilee means that we, at Nasser Bin Khaled, are commemorating what have been an inspiration and a benchmark to many. Our Jubilee is another memorable milestone in Mercedes-Benz’ historical landmarks following the brand’s celebration of 125 years of innovation and excellence worldwide in December so this has been, really, a very illustrious year for anyone associated with this iconic name.”

“Nasser Bin Khaled is an organization with a rich heritage, and it strives to preserve that heritage and keep it alive by standing up to all that the Nasser Bin Khaled name has stood for over the past 50 years. In Qatar, we are saving no effort in order to uphold this wonderful story of success and make sure that the Mercedes-Benz Qatar lives up to the global Mercedes-Benz pledge to all its fans. The launch of the 2012 SLS Roadster is our commitment to be at the forefront of Mercedes-Benz partners leading with innovation. Thanks to a unique technology concept and spectacular design, the SLS Roadster sets new standards in the supercar segment. It is sure to arouse the interest of performance-focused car enthusiasts in particular.” added Shaa’ban.