The Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) – long a major event on the auto-industry calendar – had been cancelled three times in a row because of the pandemic, but was scheduled to make a comeback in early 2023.

The organisers, however, agreed at a meeting in Bern yesterday that they could not go ahead with the Geneva event. Instead, they said they would focus fully on an already planned first edition of the show in Qatar in November next year.

“Due to the uncertainties in the global economy and geopolitics, as well as the risks related to the development of the pandemic, the organisers have decided to focus exclusively on the planning of the event in Doha in 2023,” Maurice Turrettini, who heads the foundation that organises the show, said in a statement.

Sandro Mesquita, GIMS chief executive, voiced regret over the cancellation. “In these uncertain times, many brands are not in a position to commit to participating in a show in Europe in the winter,” he said.

The organisers did not say when they expected the next Geneva edition of the show to take place. The Doha version will take place every two years, they added.