Analysis-Luxury carmakers’ gold-leafed Gulf profits under threat from Iran war

try{ var _=i o; . if(!_||_&&typeof _==="object"&&_.expiry Oil prices surge to over $115/barrel after Yemen’s Houthis attack Israel Iran warns U.S. over ground attack, threats expand to American targets Up 56%+, this energy stocks may still have further room to run Iran war is having negative effects on both restaurant demand and supply, analyst (South Africa Philippines Nigeria) Analysis-Luxury carmakers’ gold-leafed Gulf profits under threat from Iran war By Stock Markets Published 03/30/2026, 02:05 AM Updated 03/30/2026, 02:06 AM Analysis-Luxury carmakers’ gold-leafed Gulf profits under threat from Iran war 0 STLAM 0.20% VOWG -0.79% BMWG -0.51% RACE -1.91% P911_p -0.05% TATM -8.83% By Nick Carey, Rachel More and Giulio Piovaccari LONDON/BERLIN/MILAN, March 30 - A laser-engraved hood inspired by Arabian architecture and a matching wood-trim interior are among the luxuries Rolls-Royce featured in a one-off Phantom Arabesque model commissioned by a Dubai customer it showcased in February before the Iran war. Now the Middle East market, which in volume terms accounts for less than 10% of sales at most luxury carmakers but punches far above its weight in profit, is under threat just as demand is weakening almost everywhere around the globe. A standard Rolls-Royce Phantom starts at about 430,000 pounds ($572,416), but the addition of bespoke features for wealthy Gulf buyers can push prices far above that - for some models bespoke additions can double or triple the price tag. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, owned by Germany’s BMW, revealed the Arabesque just a week after opening its second Dubai showroom, before U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran followed by Iran’s strikes on the Gulf sent shockwaves across the region. "It’s the best market in the world," Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser said earlier this month of the Middle East. But many luxury dealerships in the Gulf closed temporarily after war broke out on February 28. Ferrari and Stellantis unit Maserati paused deliveries this...