2009 New Designer of Excellence Trophee de L’Argus[3] 2013 The Visionary Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 The
Luxury Arab World Award BIAF 2015 Award[4] 2019 Automotive CEO of the Year[5] 40 And Under 40[6]
In 2009, Debbas launched Wolf Design and Innovation Group (WDI Group), of which he was listed as Executive Head of Design.[12] WDI Group worked on a variety of projects including boats, furniture and interior design, consumer goods, and graphic/web design,[13] and was active in Beirut and Paris.[14]
The Lykan HyperSport, the first car produced by W Motors and the first of Debbas's production designs
He began development of W Motors and design of the Lykan in 2006,[7] and in 2008 had several design projects sponsored by the European Union.[15] W Motors was officially founded in 2012[16] with the launch of the Lykan HyperSport.[11] It is the first Middle Eastern car manufacturer, making Debbas the first automotive executive in the Middle East.[17][16] According to Debbas, the Lykan HyperSport was deliberately extravagant because:
If I had launched an affordable car from the Middle East, nobody would have talked about it… But when you create a shock by selling a $3.4m car – and back in 2013 it was the most expensive car in the world – people will talk, whether it’s negative or positive.[18]
He contributed to the design of the ICONIQ Model 7.[19] The Fenyr SuperSport followed with production beginning in 2018, but was not designed by Debbas.[20]
Debbas launched the W Motors consultancy division in 2019, which now makes up 70% of the company's business.[18] As of 2020, he owns shares and is a director of W Motors Automotive Group Holding Limited.[21] He continues as the CEO and chairman of W Motors S.A.L.[8]
Views on the automotive industry
Debbas has often spoken on the future of the transportation industry, particularly the impact of automation and electrification on vehicle ownership and manufacture.[18]
Debbas believes that electrification of cars will become widespread and that as the development of self-driving technology advances, traditional car ownership will decline to the point were road transport is provided in a manner he compares to airlines: the role and importance of manufacturers will decline, and cars will be owned by providers.[18][22] Because of this, he predicts his son Karl (born 2016) will never need to or may be unable to own a car or hold a driver's license.[18][22]
He has stated that the Middle East has great potential for a local automotive industry, but lack of relevant knowledge in the region is a limiting factor.[23]
Awards
Debbas has been the recipient of several business and design awards during his career.
^ abDebbas, Ralph. "Founder & CEO". W Motors. Archived from the original on 9 November 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
^Danon, Suzanne, ed. (2017). "Life in the fast lane"(PDF). Rise. No. 1. Coventry University Alumni Office. pp. 34–37. Archived(PDF) from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
