Emirates Motor Company (EMC), the Abu Dhabi distributor for Mercedes-Benz and Al Fahim Group member, has restructured and split into two separate business units: EMC Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars, led by Kamal Rafih, and EMC Daimler Commercial Vehicles, now to be run by Bilal Al Ribi.
According to EMC, it made the decision – which comes hand-in-hand with a global restructuring of Daimler’s passenger car and commercial vehicle interests – to cope with the growing opportunities in both markets within the region by providing clear focus to each.
“In the last few years, Mercedes-Benz’s passenger car product line has almost doubled compelling us to look at a new strategy for the world’s leading luxury automotive brand,” noted Frank Bernthaler, Automotive CEO at the Al Fahim Group.
“At the same time, the Daimler Commercial Vehicle line-up has seen an equally strong development, combined with the fact that new brands like Freightliner have been introduced into the UAE market.”
EMC sold 5,010 passenger cars last year, a 25% increase on 2013, according to Bernthaler, and sold about 1,000 commercial vehicles across lorries, vans and buses – double the number sold in 2011.
“Commercial vehicles rely on business cycles, oil prices, developments being given the green light or cancelled. We will now be able to react to those shifting sands far quicker and offer and even better service to our customers,” added Bernthaler, in side comments to the National.
Welcoming his new role, Al Ribi, commented: “Abu Dhabi is a remarkably promising market for commercial vehicles as the emirate’s due to the ongoing growth in the construction scene, coupled with our introduction of a new heavy-duty vehicle product line.”
Al Ribi was formerly the GM for Al Fahim’s Central Motors & Equipment (CME) division, and 23 years of experience centred around trucks and buses, in sales and after-sales management in the USA and the Middle East.
