Why white rules among vehicle colours in Oman

When it comes to the colour of vehicles, white is the preferred choice among motorists in the sultanate.

According to ROP statistics, white vehicles registered in the country stood at 654,802 in April, 657,156 in May and 658,663 in June (43.3 per cent of the total) showing an upward trend.

The second highest registered vehicle colour was silver at 193,185 in June which is 12.7 per cent of the total.

Grey was the third most sought-after colour at 109,540 in June (7.2 per cent). All other vehicle colours accounted for 36.8 per cent.

Muscat Daily spoke to those in automobile business and consumers to find out why white colour vehicles are more in demand. “Being in a warm climate, many prefer white vehicles because they do not heat up quickly,” Mohammad Sauban, product consultant at Mazda showroom in Al Hail, said.

He added that other light colours like silver and grey are also in demand. “Such vehicles are easy to maintain. Even some scratch do not show up easily unlike other dark colours. Some customers buy white cars because they look good driving at night giving them a sense of prestige.”

As for consumers, the choice of white vehicles revolves around looks and cleanliness. In his entire life, Hamad Sultan, from Seeb, has bought eight cars. All of them except two were white. Even the other two were silver and grey. “Even if the vehicles have dust on them, they look classy. I find it wastage of money to buy dark coloured vehicles, you get tired looking at them after some time,” he said.

Another factor which favours white colour vehicles is their better resale value. Prasad Babaji Gawas, senior sales executive,

Best Cars, a used car dealer in Muscat, said, “This is because the colour is attractive and easy to maintain. White reflects heat so the vehicle cools down quickly. Also, white is good for safety as it is easily visible at night,” Gawas said.