X-1R Executives and Customers Participate in the Dubai Automechanika Trade Show

X-1R Executives Harold Ledda, General Manager for the Philippines, Middle East and African Operations, and Radien Ramat, Regional Sales Manager for Middle East, attended the Dubai Automechanika. Held from 1 to 3 May 2018, it is the largest international aftermarket trade show in the Middle East and serves as the central trading link for difficult-to-reach markets in the Middle East and Africa.

This event, organised by the Messe Frankfurt Middle East GMbH, draws between 10,000 to 20,000 visitors, exhibitors and support staff from over 15 to 20 countries in the Middle East and Africa. This year’s event showcased products from China, UK, Italy, USA, India, Germany, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Turkey, France and UAE.

Hot topics during seminars and special presentation at Automechanika were the challenges to the automotive industry brought about by the irreversible trend of Electric Vehicles and Autonomous Vehicles. Surveys showed that EVs and AVs will effect 50% of vehicles in operation within the next 10 years. Regarding this, all aftermarket seminar panellists were unanimous in saying that the Middle East automotive aftermarket is not ready to service them.

Also participating in this annual event were the of X-1R’s clients in the UAE: -

Stop and Go Service Centres, a new aftermarket quick service chain planning to put up 10 centres in the next 2 years.

Petromin, with a network of 800 service centres in Saudi Arabia and a manpower of 5,000 employees, 90% of whom are Filipinos. The company intends to establish 50 service centres in UAE in the next 3 to 5 years.

HnD, a local UAE automotive wholesaler with a network of 400 retailers and garages in the UAE and corporate offices in Abu Dhabi. 

X-1R is beginning to gain traction in the Middle East, being one of the newest players in the value-added service-based automotive products sector of the aftermarket industry.