World Wide Auctioneers, part of WWA Group of the US, has completed yet another successful auction at the group’s Dubai facility in the Jebel Ali Free Zone.

During the auction between June 17 and 19, gross sales reached $17.70 million, and involved more than 360 registered bidders from 30 countries. The items consigned by 159 consignors from 20 countries, consisting of more than 1,250 items, were sold to 200 successful bidders.
 It was the third WWA auction this year during which a total of 4,000 items were sold to over 600 successful bidders for more than $55 million. The three auctions also generated a record number of bidders who participated using the “WWA BIDLive” online system to place bids on equipment.
Among other developments within the group, on June 28, WWA entered Doha, Qatar, with an unreserved equipment one-day auction that fetched almost $9 million
“We are consistently filling our yard with a variety of good equipment for our auctions in Dubai,” says Eric Montandon, chief executive officer, WWA Group. “Presently, more than $600 billion has been committed to major construction projects that are under way in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia alone, and the demand for equipment is very strong in virtually all of the world’s other major user markets. This makes it difficult to attract consignments of quality equipment for auction, but we are still doing it,” he adds.
The most recent was the 39th auction held by WWA in Dubai since March of 2001, and the third of six physical auctions that have been planned for Dubai this year.
WWA Group has planned 20 physical equipment auctions for the UAE, Qatar, Australia, Holland and Indonesia this year, and several online-only equipment auctions.
Qatar, expected to become the world’s wealthiest nation on a per capita basis in 2006, was the world’s second largest consumer of project finance (behind China) last year. WWA felt Qatar was the ideal place to open another auction site, being a very active market for equipment users, but with an immature second-hand dealer base. Besides WWA’s infrastructure in Dubai, “we have a very solid joint venture partner in the local Al Baida Technical Services of Doha,” says Montandon.
 “Qatar is ready for heavy equipment auctions,” explains Ali Abdul Latif Al Mohannadi, managing director, Al Baida Technical Services. “Since no other major auctioneer operates in Qatar, WWA and Al Baida can dominate this huge and growing market,” he asserts.
WWA’s business licence in Qatar includes rental and trading of heavy equipment along with WWA Group’s traditional auction business, providing multiple entry points into one of the world’s most active construction markets.
WWA holds fully unreserved auctions, with no minimum bids, seller bids, or reserved items, thus assuring buyers and sellers that equipment is traded at fair market value. Auctions are held in Dubai, Doha, Eindhoven (the Netherlands), Jakarta (Indonesia) and Brisbane and Perth (both in Australia), with possibly one more location planned for this year. It strives to provide the finest service in the industrial auction business.
WWA has held more than 60 auctions around the world since early 2001, selling more than 40,000 items for a combined total of over $500 million. The directors have a combined total of over 60 years of experience in buying, selling, and auctioning of heavy equipment in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. These partners have joined together to present a comprehensive range of services geared to buyers and sellers of industrial, construction, and maritime equipment, materials and products, based on a combination of physical, video and Internet-based auctions.