Al Habtoor Motors has been awarded the Fuso franchise in Saudi Arabia by Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC).
The news represents the UAE-headquartered dealer’s first foray into the Kingdom’s automotive industry.
As part of the agreement, Al Habtoor Motors, which is the official UAE dealer for MFTBC, will establish a sales and customer service network for Fuso customers across Saudi Arabia.
Commenting on the news, Ahmed K Al Habtoor, CEO of Al Habtoor Motors, said: “To us, Saudi Arabia poses a great challenge in terms of being a very large and significant market. Our 35 years of experience in the UAE is our solid foundation to now move ahead. We are confident that we will, in time, achieve the same levels of success and customer satisfaction, which we have achieved in the UAE; we are already in the process of developing our plans to achieve success in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
The deal was signed by Sultan Al Habtoor, president of Al Habtoor Motors, and Marc Llistosella, head of Fuso’s parent company Daimler Trucks Asia (DTA), and president and CEO of MFTBC.
Al Habtoor Motors plans to set up Fuso showrooms, and parts and service centres in various cities across Saudi Arabia. The company will distribute Fuso’s light- and medium-duty trucks, as well its Rosa bus line.
Roland Schneider, CEO of Daimler Commercial Vehicles’ newly established Regional Centre for the Middle East & Northern Africa, said: “With the appointment of Al Habtoor Motors as a business partner in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we are looking to dramatically drive growth of the Fuso brand in what is currently our second-biggest market in the Middle East. We have gig expectations of this partnership.
MFTBC’s appointment of Al Habtoor Motors in KSA follows the dealer’s 78.7% growth for Mitsubishi passenger cars (2015 year to date) during the past year.
Speaking on the firm’s expansion plans, Karl Hamer, managing director of Al Habtoor Motors, added: “Until now, Al Habtoor Motors focused on building a strong presence in the UAE. Now, we’re shifting our focus from being a key local player to a regional player. We are looking to extend our business frontiers at this juncture.
“Al Habtoor Motors attributes its growth to its entire workforce, [which] has constantly and diligently strived to rise above all challenges to work as a team with passion and dedication, in the process setting new benchmarks for us to grow and thrive.
“Last but not least, the decision by the Al Habtoor family to constantly invest in the business, and thereby contribute to the overall growth of the UAE, is the secret to the group’s success; we will ensure the same vigour is brought about in [Al Habtoor Motors’] KSA business,” Hamer concluded.
