German high-performance sports car-maker RUF-Automobile – renowned for its craftsmanship in upgrading, servicing and restoring Porsche models – is planning to set up a full-fledged service, production and marketing base in Bahrain, its first such facility outside its home-base in Pfaffenhausen, Germany.

The new company, RUF-Middle East (RUF-ME), is being set up as a joint venture with local businessman, Rashad Janahi at an initial investment of $50 million.
The planned automobile production, servicing and marketing facility, is a one-of-its-kind development in the region, and is an indication of the growing maturity of the motoring market, says a spokesman for the company.
The state-of-the-art production facility will come up on 20,000 sq m adjacent to the Formua 1 circuit. The RUF production base will be landmark in Bahrain as well as in the region, since it is the first automobile manufacturing facility in the GCC. It will also feature an advanced research and development (R&D) centre,  the first such full-fledged resource in the region.”
Full-scale construction of the facility is expected to commence within the next two months, and will be completed in a record time of 18 to 20 months.