A Nostalgic Journey Through the First Cars Ever Introduced in Arab Countries
From first operating by steam, then gas, and today, electricity, cars have gone through some major changes over the years. To take a step back in time and get a dose of nostalgia, we are introducing you to some of the first cars that got introduced to Arab countries:
Libya Taking The Lead With Welleyes Motor Car
Did you know that the first Arab country to get cars introduced to its nation was Libya. All the way back in the 1890s, a man by the name of Abduallah Shaaban Al Zowaree brought over the Welleyes motor car to Libya.
It was a 3-horsepower car manufactured by an Italian automobile company owned by Giovanni Battista Ceirano, Emanuele di Bricherasio, Attilio Calligaris, Pietro Fenoglio, and Cesare Goria Gatti.
Before, many believed that the person pictured above was Abdullah Sha’ban Al Zowaree and his Welleyes Motor car, but it was, in fact, his son, Sultan Bin Sha‛ban, riding in a Fiat Zero 1912.
Egypt & The Dion-Bouton Car
In Egypt, the story is that Khedive Ismail’s grandson, Prince Aziz Hassan, brought the first car to Egypt—the French Dion-Bouton car.
It all goes back to when he left Egypt to study abroad in Oxford and then Germany. From there, he joined the German Imperial Army. On his return to Egypt, he brought back the Dion-Bouton car.
He really loved the car, and there was a story to prove it. Back in 1904, he and his two friends traveled the 210-kilometer journey from Cairo to Alexandria in over ten hours at a speed of 20km/h. He did so even though there weren’t any proper roads or bridges to drive on.
Once Egypt was introduced to the car, the country began to import cars from abroad, and by 1905, there were around 110 motorized vehicles in Cairo and 56 in Alexandria.
The Slick Mercedes Arriving In Saudi Arabia
All the way back in 1915, during the reign of the tenth Emir of Jabal Shammar, Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Rashid, the ruling Ottoman Sultan of that time Mohammed Rashad, gifted Rashid with a car. It was a 1915 Mercedes, the very one that was produced in that year.
There are two fun facts about this car coming to Saudi Arabia. The first is that people were scared of it. The second is that it broke down on its way to Emir Rashid, so they had to transport it by pulling it using metal chains.
Lebanon’s Early 1900s Car
There are many conflicting statements on the exact date and identity of the person who owned the first car in Lebanon. One source is Old Beirut, which claims that the first car was brought into Lebanon in 1906 and owned by the AUB president of that time, Dr. Howard Bliss.
Yet, another source entirely said that the first car to enter Lebanon was owned by Mr. Michel Sursock followed by Dr. Graham back in 1905.
Then comes the third source, the AIA website, which claims that the first person to own a car in Lebanon was Philippe Skaff back in 1903 and that the car could fit 13 people. Based on all these conflicting sources, we can at least say that the first car arrived in the early 1900s.
Palestine Receiving its First Car
According to the memoirs of Palestinian composer Wasif Jawhariyyeh, the first car to enter Palestine was in 1912. The first car arrived in the city of Jerusalem, but it took a long time before more cars arrived in the country.
Looking back at the oldest cars that entered the Arab world and comparing them to the cars of today, how do you think cars will look 100 or 200 years from now? We think the change will be big!
