As electric mobility gains ground in Abu Dhabi, Wissam Khalil is helping connect Porsche’s performance heritage with evolving customer expectations. His approach highlights the importance of choice, personalised experiences and community engagement in luxury automotive leadership.
What does it take to lead a luxury automotive business when customer expectations are changing as quickly as the technology behind the vehicles?
For Wissam Khalil, General Manager of Porsche Centre Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, the answer appears to lie in balancing performance, innovation and a deeper understanding of the customer.
Representing Porsche through Ali & Sons, the brand’s exclusive dealer in Abu Dhabi, Khalil operates within a market where premium automotive experiences are evolving beyond traditional vehicle ownership. Ali & Sons has represented Porsche since 1987, with operations spanning Abu Dhabi, Mussafah and Al Ain.
Leading Through the Electric Transition
One of the most significant developments shaping Khalil’s leadership agenda is the growing interest in electric mobility.
In an October 2026 interview with DriveArabia, Khalil discussed how customers have become more informed about electric vehicles. Rather than simply questioning whether EVs are practical, buyers are increasingly evaluating charging speeds, everyday usability, driving performance and how different powertrains fit their lifestyles.
His perspective places customer choice at the centre of the transition. With combustion, plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles available across Porsche’s wider portfolio, Khalil emphasises helping customers select technology that suits their needs rather than assuming everyone will make the transition at the same pace.
This approach reflects a wider leadership consideration for the automotive industry: technological progress becomes most meaningful when businesses can translate it into experiences customers understand and value.
Building Relationships Beyond the Showroom
Khalil’s approach to customer engagement also extends into lifestyle and community experiences.
During 2026, Porsche Centre Abu Dhabi and Al Ain organised initiatives connecting automotive performance with culture, craftsmanship and wellbeing. These included a curated driving experience with Amwaj Jewellery, a women’s wellness event and Ramadan collaborations celebrating local traditions.
Speaking about the driving experience, Khalil highlighted the importance of creating a personal connection between drivers and vehicles while bringing together performance, design and craftsmanship.
Such initiatives illustrate how premium automotive leadership increasingly involves building relationships around shared interests, rather than focusing exclusively on the point of sale.
Performance, Innovation and the Road Ahead
As Abu Dhabi expands its electric-vehicle infrastructure and advances its long-term zero-emission ambitions, Khalil sees technology, charging access, customer confidence and desirable products as interconnected drivers of adoption.
In his October interview, he argued that infrastructure alone cannot persuade driving enthusiasts to embrace electric performance. The vehicle itself must continue to deliver an experience they genuinely want.
For Khalil, that creates a leadership challenge extending beyond introducing new models. It involves helping customers navigate technological change while maintaining the expectations of performance, service and personal engagement associated with luxury motoring.
His work at Porsche Centre Abu Dhabi and Al Ain offers a perspective on how automotive leaders can bring together innovation, customer understanding and community connection as the industry enters its next phase.
Sources: Porsche Centre Abu Dhabi and Al Ain; Ali & Sons; Porsche Newsroom; DriveArabia, October 6, 2026
