General Motors has been in the Middle East since the 1920s, selling Chevrolets, GMCs and Cadillacs along with OEM parts and accessories. By the end of 2016 Chevy intends to launch nine new models in the region.
GM’s office in the Dubai World Trade Centre oversees the sales and service operations for 20 dealerships in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Dubai, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen. The company’s large-scale Middle East Distribution Corp. is located in Jebel Ali, Dubai.
During the Automechanika Dubai 2016 trade show in May, GM showcased its entire lineup of products ranging from batteries and oils to window films, spark plugs, filters, wiper blades, chemicals and brakes. The ACDelco parts division unveiled a new zero-maintenance battery with improved strength and power specifically designed to withstand the Middle East’s extreme climatic conditions.
In addition to celebrating ACDelco’s global centennial anniversary this year, the vast Jebel Ali warehouse – which stocks 90,000 SKUs and annually processes more than a million orders from dealers, wholesalers and shops throughout the Mideast and Africa – recently received accolades for a decade of operations with no significant safety accidents amid a busy atmosphere rife with heavy machinery and massive cargo movements. Over the past 10 years not a single staff member has missed a day of work due to an on-the-job injury.
“We have 125 people working here and our overriding goal is to ensure they all get home at the end of their day, safe and sound,” Al Fayyad says.
He attributes the achievement to a series of processes and procedures that have been implemented and the company’s cultural commitment to creating and promoting safe practices throughout the facility.
“Over the years we’ve developed a strong, safety conscious environment where everyone on the floor knows that they are responsible for their own safety and that of their colleagues. We are delighted that we’ve been doing this consistently now for over 10 years,” says Al Fayyad, who recently answered several Aftermarket Business World questions regarding the region.
Q: Are there particularly high demands for specific products in the Middle East because of the hot climate conditions? What are your best sellers?
A: Our oils and fluids are some of our bestselling and market-leading products in the Middle East. Garages and customers region-wide prefer it for its high quality and ability to cope particularly well in the challenging desert conditions we have here.
We also hold 40 percent market share in the region with our No. 1 selling ACDelco maintenance-free batteries. These batteries are manufactured in Dammam, Saudi Arabia using stamp grid technology that produces a more reliable, efficient and high quality product than others on the market. We are the only local manufacturer to use this technology.
Q: What are some of the steps you are taking to expand your Middle East market?
A: ACDelco is a strong player in our existing 11 Middle East markets, and in recent years we have expanded, bringing our high quality products into Africa.
Q: So you’re adding more nations to your regional presence?
A: We continue to assess the countries in our Middle East and Africa region for their viability as markets for our ACDelco products.
Q: What activities are you doing in the Middle East to mark the 100th celebration?
A: At GM Middle East we marked the 100th anniversary of ACDelco in a number of ways. We held a roadshow of customer appreciation events where we honored our key wholesale customers, we celebrated publicly in Dubai at Automechanika – the largest aftermarket trade fair in the Middle East – with an innovative stand that celebrated our history and commitment to customers.
And we celebrated internally, with our GM Middle East employees.
It’s also timely that one of our dealers in the UAE, Liberty Automotive in Sharjah, recently opened their newly renovated ACDelco service center, which is the first dedicated ACDelco center in the world.
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