Tag: Middle East
Davanti appoints MEA sales director to establish new regional office
Davanti Tyres has appointed Najib Chakhtoura sales director for the Middle East and Africa, in order to establish a “permanent presence” in the region. Chakhtoura is tasked with developing relationships with new and existing distributors to increase the brand’s global reach and sales volume. He previously held senior roles developing premium brands across the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait and North and East Africa. Chakhtoura will establish a new regional office for Davanti to introduce the brand into new territories across North, East and West Africa, the Gulf States and the wider Middle East.
Continental rolling out region-specific trailer tyres
Various road and climatic conditions are encountered within the Continental Tire division’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) business, and for this reason, it is introducing commercial trailer tyres that reflect regional requirements. The first of these is the Conti Hybrid HT3 WR.
Ssangyong Motorsport fits Yokohama Geolandar on 2020 Dakar Rally
Yokohama’s Geolandar M/T G003 tyres for SUVs and pickup trucks will be fitted to the Korando DKR driven by Oscar Fuertes Aldanondo and Diego Vallejo for Ssangyong Motorsport/Sodicars Racing on the 2020 Dakar Rally (5-17 January). The same car and drivers came in third in the T1.3 petrol 2-wheel drive class in the January 2019 event, and will take on competition in the same class this year.
Goodyear exclusive tyre partner for top Dakar Rally teams
Goodyear will be the official tyre supplier to two top teams in the upcoming Dakar Rally. The rally returns to its roots in the desert on 5 January in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and the shift to a new continent presents new challenges to tyre suppliers, drivers and vehicles. The 2020 rally will run over sand dunes, rocky canyons and wadis or dry riverbeds, all on standard truck tyres. Goodyear has a strong record on the rally in recent years, with Petronas De Rooy Iveco occupying podium places, including two first places, with Goodyear as their tyre and development partner.
Apollo Tyres enters Saudi Arabia tyre market
Apollo Tyres Ltd has entered the Saudi Arabia tyre market in cooperation with Al-Jomaih Tyres Company Limited, the exclusive distributors for the Kingdom. Apollo Tyres reports that it will be focussing on the large and growing truck-bus radial and passenger car tyre market, aiming to capture “a sizeable market share” in each of these segments.
Bridgestone adds India to EMEA region
From 1 January 2020, Bridgestone’s India business will fall into the EMEA Strategic Business Unit (SBU), transferring from the China, Asia-Pacific SBU. As a result, Bridgestone Europe, Russia, Middle East and Africa (BSEMEA) will become Bridgestone Europe, Russia, Middle East, India and Africa (BSEMIA), one of four SBUs globally, alongside Bridgestone China, Asia-Pacific, Bridgestone Americas, and Bridgestone Japan. According to the company, the integration of Bridgestone India into EMEA comes as a result of Bridgestone EMEA’s “ongoing transformation capitalising on the opportunities digitalisation offers to pioneer mobility solutions that meet the needs of customers for convenience, efficiency and sustainability”.
Mete Ekin leading Bridgestone Emerging Market business
As of 1 October, Mete Ekin is vice president of Bridgestone Emerging Markets. In this role he oversees Bridgestone EMEA’s businesses in Africa, the Middle East and Russia. The former regional managing director Middle East and Africa reports to Paolo Ferrari, chief executive officer of Bridgestone EMEA.
Michelin opens regional office in Dubai
Michelin has opened new Africa, India and the Middle East (AIM) operations headquarters at the Dubai Airport Freezone in Dubai. The official opening ceremony took place at the new headquarters in the presence of dignitaries including Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni, director general of Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA); Marc Pasquet, president for Michelin, Africa, India and the Middle East (AIM); and Raja Rabia, Consul General of France. The new facility will be managing 87 offices across the region.
GRI acquires Nortire OU
Sri Lanka-based speciality tyre manufacturer GRI reports that it has acquired the Estonia-based Nortire Group. Headquartered in Estonia, with a branch in Latvia and two branches in Lithuania, Nortire is a speciality tyre distributor. According to GRI, the acquisition will further expand the GRI’s global tyre service network, while attaining a significant foothold in the North European tyre market. The news follows a non-acquisition Middle East strategic partnership with Al-Dobowi in April 2019.
Conti opening Saudi regional office
Continental is planning to open a Middle East regional office in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The joint venture project with the company’s previous distributor in Saudi Arabia, Almutlak Trade & Industries, will support growing demand for Continental’s products and services in the kingdom, according to the company.
Russia, Saudi Arabia to finalize rubber joint venture by end of 2018
Russia and Saudi Arabia will finalize several joint projects by the end of 2018, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak recently told journalists. The projects referred to see Saudi Aramco partner with Russain firms Sibur and Novatek. The Sibur plant plans centre on a particularly significantly sized rubber factory.
Pirelli deploys Groove Glove technology in Middle East
Pirelli’s Middle East tyre retail operation has adopted Groove Grove technology as a way of improving its service offer. According to local news reports, Groove Grove was created by Tire Profiles, a partner of MAHA Maschinenbau Haldenwang GmbH & Co., the German supplier of high-end garage and vehicle inspection equipment. Using the technology, motorists can get tyre-related information, including suspension, pressure, alignment, wear and tear and replacement recommendations. The technology also has the capability to calculate the tread depth of the major grooves on a tyre to a tenth of a millimetre.
Scandinavian Enviro Systems sign Middle-Eastern tyre recycling deal
Scandinavian Enviro Systems has signed a HoA (Heads of Agreement) with the German company DHF Development to facilitate the establishment of one or more recycling plants in The Middle East together with Industrial Development and Renovation Organisation of Iran (IDRO). The agreement is valid for a period of three months. The deal was signed on 6 July 2018.
Wanli considering Europe for $1 billion tyre factory investment
Wanli-owner Guangzhou Vanlead Group Co. Ltd. has indefinitely postponed plans to invest US$1 billion in the construction of a tyre factory in South Carolina, USA. Now the company is said to be considering alternative locations including some in Europe