Geneva Auto Show will move permanently to Qatar

The Geneva Auto Show will no longer be in Geneva, Switzerland. After years of struggle to continue running the show in its original Swiss location, the organizers have decided to move it permanently to Qatar.

According to a Facebook post from the show's official account, the Geneva show has been canceled, but following the 2023 show, organizers will continue to hold events branded "Geneva International Motor Show Qatar" in Doha, Qatar. The 2024 version is scheduled for May 11. 27 to Dec. 6 Month of the year.

The show's transition from Europe to the Middle East began in 2021, when an agreement was signed between the organizers and Qatar's Tourism Authority to share hosting rights. The original plan was for the annual auto Show in Geneva, with a biennial show in Doha, also known as the Geneva International Motor Show.

The Geneva Motor Show was first canceled during the coronavirus pandemic and shut down in 2020, a few days before it was scheduled to open. Other auto shows have also been cancelled, but most have finally returned. But Geneva will have to wait until 2024. The show, which took place on May 2 of this year, turned out to be the last in its original place.

The Swiss show was also cancelled in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, it was planned to hold a car show in Geneva on 2 May and Doha on 11 May, but the organizers eventually skipped Switzerland and held only the Qatar show. At the time, organizers cited economic and geopolitical pressures, saying that most automakers will not commit to the next run. But the Qatar show went as planned.

The new permanent location offers warmer weather (Geneva was traditionally held during the European winter), which could attract more visitors and perhaps a genuine Geneva show some of the exhibitors lost after the pandemic. But given the general decline in manufacturers' interest in car shows in general, that is not guaranteed.