Thrifty Car Rental Expands in UAE
Thrifty Car Rental has added new United Arab Emirates locations in the Fujairah City Center and Mercato Mall — its 44th and 45th locations nationwide.
Thrifty Car Rental is expanding in the United Arab Emirates by opening locations in the Fujairah City Center and Mercato Mall — its 44th and 45th locations nationwide.
Thrifty is now the only car rental company currently serving customers with a location in all of the major malls in the United Arab Emirates.
According to the company, it increased its business in the first half of 2013 by 14% year-on-year. With a strong car rental market in the UAE, Thrifty Car Rental has increased its fleet size to up to 17,000 vehicles with a goal of further increasing its presence in the UAE malls.
“Malls remain a key focus for us to grow the Thrifty brand in the United Arab Emirates,” says Rahul Singh, general manager, Thrifty Car Rental UAE. “Malls contribute to 30% of our short-term rental business, and this is only set to grow as we further expand into shopping malls and other retail opportunities.”
Currently, Thrifty services UAE customers from over 40 full-service outlets in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Fujairah, Al Ain, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah.
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