From Europe to the Middle East: Ronald van den Broek on The Grand Auto Show in Qatar
- Maqina Team
- Nov 10
- 2 min read
After nearly three decades at the forefront of Europe’s automotive events scene, Ronald van den Broek has set his sights firmly on the Middle East. The Dutch event producer — known for creating large-scale car festivals across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany — saw in 2023 the perfect moment to expand his passion-driven concept into a new region.
“In Europe we organize between 20 and 30 events each year,” Van den Broek explains. “But the idea of bringing that same energy to the Middle East — where car culture is deeply rooted in lifestyle — really excited me. Dubai was our first step, and it worked beautifully to fill the European winter season with automotive action.”
Following the success in Dubai, Qatar soon followed. In 2024, Van den Broek and his team launched AutoMadness Qatar at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC). This November, the event evolves into The Grand Auto Show — a true national celebration of cars and innovation in a country that hasn’t hosted such a show for several years.
From 20 to 22 November, the QNCC will be transformed into a 30,000 m² automotive playground, combining indoor halls with an outdoor arena for live drift performances. “We want to festivalize the car show experience,” he says. “Not just cars on carpets, but a real experience that mixes entertainment, innovation, and emotion. We’ve proven the concept in Europe — for example at the Brussels Auto Show 2024 with more than 120,000 visitors — and now it’s time to bring that same energy here.”
The Grand Auto Show will feature a Car Catwalk, an outdoor drift arena, and a strong presence from both international and Chinese car brands introducing affordable new technologies to the region.
But beyond the business of exhibitions and brand showcases, Van den Broek’s passion for cars runs deep. “I’ve been a car lover all my life,” he admits. “From a very young age I was obsessed with BMWs, and my ultimate dream car was the Lamborghini Countach — the poster car on my wall as a kid. That dream came true about ten years ago when I bought my first Countach, a white 5000 S. Since then, several Lamborghinis have passed through my garage.”
That personal enthusiasm continues to drive his vision for The Grand Auto Show and its future expansion. “Qatar feels like just the beginning,” he says. “We’re already exploring Riyadh in Saudi Arabia as the next step in this Middle East journey. The appetite for cars, entertainment, and lifestyle here is incredible — it’s a region that truly understands automotive passion.”
