Swaidan Trading (Al Naboodah Group)
Swaidan Saeed Juma Al Naboodah,Managing Director, Al Naboodah Group Enterprises
Swaidan Trading, a company of the Al Naboodah Group (ANG), oversees the commercial vehicles and heavy equipment (CVHE) divisions with a business model that offers pluralistic mobility solutions in the passenger and logistics industry. Swaidan Trading’s product portfolio encompasses a range of logistics solutions from vans to customised buses, and a comprehensive range of commercial vehicles and heavy equipment.
Championing the trend towards cleaner mobility, the CVHE division has supplied Dotto electric trains and Marshell electric carts for the Expo 2020 Dubai, aligning with strict sustainability requirements relevant to the themes of the event. Despite a challenging year for the sector, their proactive business development saw the CVHE division celebrate several firsts, launching Zhongtong Buses, Ashok Leyland’s Gazl minibuses and Falcon super buses, while signing a lucrative contract providing Al Gazl Transport with 80 Ashok Leyland buses. Supporting the mobility of the local economy, they delivered Tatra off-road trucks to various market segments, Oryx from Ashok Leyland, all-wheel drive buses for oilfield applications, and Ashok Leyland buses for airside operations at DXB. Their customer-centric focus saw them earn the Best Service Partner Award from WABCO.
Fortifying market leadership and supply chain competency, this year brought new launches from the Group’s Auto Allied division including entering the industrial batteries segment representing brands Okaya and Microtex, in addition to their impressive automotive battery line up of Hyundai, Ceil from Exide India and Volta. A customer centric culture led retail operations to inaugurate a Goodyear Autocare service centre conveniently located at Ibn Battuta Mall, offering optimised services for customers under a ‘shop while you change your tyres’ model.
Their lubricant partners Gulf Oil introduced Gulf Express quick oil change centres across the UAE, offering a service-oriented one-stop concept. So far, they have opened more than ten such centres in the UAE with plans to open more in the coming months. Most recently, they celebrated a distribution partnership with major Japanese tyre brand, Sumitomo to represent their complete range of consumer and commercial tyres.
Swaidan Saeed Juma Al Naboodah, managing director, Al Naboodah Group Enterprises, says: “We’ve embraced the evolving post-pandemic landscape, seeking opportunities to diversify our offering in a way that adds value to consumers through increased choice via our product offering and connecting global brands to local markets. People are thinking about how they can optimise their time, and this past year they have shifted their priorities, preferring competitive solutions to everyday challenges. Our new retail centres cater to that demand, and we plan to continue launching new outlets that serve the market better. Our growth in the sustainability segment is also forecast to expand as more business consumers demand greener solutions.”
