Dubai | The Icons of Porsche festival held in Dubai is the largest car festival in the Middle East region, and one of the largest annual Porsche events in the world.
The event attracts massive crowds and an array of spectacular Porsche sportscars each year. It has grown into a week-long celebration with side events and meetings hosting Porsche enthusiasts from around the region and the globe.
The tagline of ‘classic cars, art and culture’ typifies the diverse nature of the event’s attractions and crowd. For car enthusiasts, Porsche ensures one of the world’s most impressive displays of classic Porsche sportscars is on hand each year.
For families and general ‘event goers’, local artists and musicians are featured. Some of the best food and beverage suppliers from around Dubai have food stalls on hand to feed patrons with quality offerings.
A host of executives from Porsche AG headquarters has visited Icons of Porsche over the years, including Executive Board Chairman Dr Oliver Blume and Supervisory Board Chairman Dr Wolfgang Porsche. Porsche champions such as Mark Webber, Pascal Werhlein, Jorg Bergmeister and Timo Berhard are also previous visitors.
Partners such a Porsche Design, Michelin, RM Sotheby’s, TAG Heuer, Hugo Boss and LEGO have all built dedicated activation structures at previous editions of the festival.
The event is certainly different to your average motor show or car festival. Creativity abounds all over the event precinct, the Dubai Design District that sits in the shadows of the spectacular Dubai cityscape backdrop and alongside the Dubai Canal.
In 2023 a record was set when a bright red sports car, positioned at the heart of the festival, officially achieved a new Guinness World Record for the world’s ‘largest inflatable vehicle’. In 2024, the food scene in Dubai was abuzz when the DRVN by Porsche café in Bluewaters Island, a staple of each edition of the festival, announced it had created a new ‘Cayenne Pepper’ pizza, to be sold exclusively at Icons of Porsche.
The event is organized by the Porsche Middle East and Africa (PME) regional office, based in Dubai. This operation manages the Porsche presence in the Middle East, Africa and India region.
PME’s partners in the event are its official importers in Dubai (Al Nabooda Automobiles) and Abu Dhabi (Ali and Sons).
From 2025, the Dubai Department for Economy and Tourism also joined as an official event partner.
How did Icons of Porsche begin?
“In my previous role working for Porsche in China, one of the things I missed was seeing classic cars on the streets,” said Dr Manfred Braeunl, CEO of Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE.
“When I knew I was moving to Dubai to take on my current role at Porsche, I was excited to learn that there is a very strong community of classic car owners and collectors in this region.
"But when I arrived, I did not see these cars I had been told about. They were here, but seldom to see in a larger number, where they could be admired by Porsche fans; often hiding in garages and collections.
"So the initial idea for Icons of Porsche was simple – let’s give these amazing cars a stage where they are the stars. Get them out in the open, and let all the fans get a close up view.
"The first year of the Icons of Porsche was soon after COVID. But from that first edition, we knew we were on to something. There was potential to not only grow this event, but to host it every year.
"To see Icons of Porsche grow from that initial event into the huge festival it is today is hugely satisfying. It is a testament to the collectors who share their dream sportscars, their ‘icons’, with us each year.”
Icons of Porsche PR content hub on Porsche Newsroom: https://newsroom.porsche.com/en_PME/company/icons-of-porsche.html
Recap of previous editions of Icons of Porsche
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