Hoards of international product launches underline the trade fair’s importance for the automotive aftermarket community

The Middle East’s foremost trade and networking platform, Automechanika Middle East 2012, concluded a highly-successful three-day run.

Large numbers of trade visitors flocking the show floor until late in the day, on the lookout for new suppliers, fresh product ideas, spare parts and essential equipment - a record breaking edition. Exhibitors and trade visitors were impressed stating that the 10th anniversary edition of the show exceeded all expectations.

The upbeat trend at the trade show was a direct reflection of the extremely positive outlook for the regional aftermarket, as underlined by Dubai’s most recent trade figures. According to current trends the Middle East automotive aftermarket is expected to continue to expand riding on growing regional demand and the advantages offered by Dubai’s growth as a transshipment and logistics hub.

Among the many highlights of Automechanika Middle East’s 10th anniversary edition, was the considerable number of regional launches for products and services by international aftermarket companies. Notable among these were Exedy, who launched a series of clutches for passenger buses and trucks. Autokontrol, who launched speed limiting devices intended to enhance road safety, Joy FZE, with their automatic car-washing machine that enables considerably reduced water usage and ARB Corporation’s unveiling of their line of accessories for 4-wheel drives and rear-view and parking cameras.

“With the 10th edition of Automechanika Middle East proving to be a great success, going by initial reports, it is clear that the future for the regional aftermarket continues to look bright,” said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of organiser, Epoc Messe Frankfurt.

“We not only had wide-ranging participation from a large number of international leaders in the aftermarket industry, but also attracted a broad spectrum of trade visitors and buyers from across the region. The number of product launches at the exhibition, the fringe activities and the large number of networking opportunities provided by Automechanika Middle East underscores the relevance of the fair to the regional industry,” he added.

Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket expanded its product portfolio with a new FAG wheel bearing repair solution for light commercial vehicles, specifically designed for the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Vito and Viano models. Attending the event was worldwide President Schaeffer Automotive Aftermarket, who said: “Automechanika Middle East is a very professional concept. We see really professional people here and the quality of meetings and discussions we are having here is on a very high scale.”

Hardex Corporation from Vancouver, Canada launched four new series of brake pads into the region. Babak Ras, International Marketing & Sales Manager from Hardex, said: “We were delighted with the initial response to our products at Automechanika Middle East. This has been a fantastic platform for our product launches. You have to participate in Automechanika Middle East if you are serious about doing business in this region.”

TBC International had a very successful exhibition being the only company displaying a range of US made tyres, which were met with huge interest from trade buyers. They confirmed a series of business deals during the three day exhibition. Srinivas Tirupati, Middle East Area Sales Manager for TBC International, commented: “We are the largest marketer of tyres in North America. We came to Automechanika Middle East to find quality, exclusive distributors and the exhibition has exceeded all our expectations. I got all my money back in the first hour of the show. The quality of customers I got from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait was brilliant. The right decision makers are here. They came, they felt, they touched and they bought.”

Pleased with finding the heavy equipment and spare parts he was looking for, Mohammed Abbas of Saba Tech, a regular visitor to Automechanika Middle East thought that this edition was bigger and better organised than before, with a larger variety of exhibitors.

Also upbeat about Automechanika Middle East was Ossamah Azzuni, Division Manager of Genavco. “I found that the exhibition was better than in previous years, making it easier to find what I was looking for.”

The Automechanika Academy with its two days of seminars, workshops and presentations by leading experts and prominent industry figures touching on key concerns, developments and trends affecting the automotive aftermarket, proved to be extremely popular. The final day’s topics on Tyre Efficiency in Fleets and Anti-Counterfeiting Measures drew appreciation from a large audience.

As the curtain drew on the 10th edition of Automechanika Middle East, it further enhanced the exhibition’s premier position as the authoritative trade fair for the regional automotive aftermarket. With a positive industry outlook and continued support from the international and regional aftermarket community, Automechanika Middle East is firmly
set on a continued growth path.