ME commercial vehicle sales in top gear

Sales of commercial vehicles in key markets in the Middle East and North Africa showed significant growth last year and the road ahead also looks clear.

According to research firm Streamline Marketing Group, organisers of Commercial Vehicles Middle East exhibition, Egypt is leading the way where sales in 2010 rose to 54,170 units from 47,721 in 2009, an increase of 13 per cent. The figure is expected to rise by 21 per cent to 65,841 units in 2011, with growth of 58 per cent to 104,477 units predicted by 2014.

Commercial vehicles sales in Saudi Arabia grew by five per cent from 116,398 units in 2009 to 122,275 last year. An increase of almost seven per cent to 130,616 units is forecast for this year, this figure rising by 31 per cent to 171,274 by 2014.

In Kuwait, commercial vehicle sales last year amounted to 32,494 units with a value of $1.71 billion, compared with 32,029 units worth $1.67 billion in 2009. Projections are for growth to 33,046 units this year, and to 36,889 by 2015.

"Commercial Vehicles Middle East provides us with the opportunity to open new business avenues and to tap into the growing market of commercial vehicles in the region," said Murari Trivedi, Regional Manager, Tata Motors. "We plan to showcase our wide range of products and launch new products at the show, to strengthen our position in the Middle East markets."

Four major players - Tata Motors, Renault Trucks, IVECO, and Liberty Automobiles - have joined the line-up of exhibitors for the second edition of Commercial Vehicles Middle East at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from March 14-16.

Liberty Automobiles, the General Motors dealer for Cadillac, Chevrolet, Hummer and Opel, will be using the event to showcase the world's first electric zero emission bus, along with a lineup of their newly acquired franchise-OTOKAR buses from Turkey.

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