• New country pavilions this year include Indonesia and Morocco
  • With appearances at other Automechanikas around the world Hong Kong Auto Parts Industry Association hosts an official pavilion in Dubai for first time

Dubai, UAE: Automechanika Dubai, the Middle East’s largest international trade exhibition for the automotive aftermarket industry, opened today at the Dubai World Trade Centre with a vast showcase of present and future products, services, technologies and insights from industry experts.

Exhibiting the latest technology and innovation from both across the region and beyond, the 19th edition, organised by Messe Frankfurt Middle East, boasts an impressive 79 per cent increase in floor space this year, to accommodate a total of 1,145 exhibitors – a 98 per cent increase on 2021. Representation of exhibitors this year comes from more than 53 countries with 20 country pavilions on show, including Türkiye, Germany, Italy, India, Korea, Malaysia and China.

Spread across eleven halls at DWTC, Automechanika Dubai features six product sectors: Parts & Components, Electronics & Systems, Accessories & Customizing, Tires & Batteries, Repair & Maintenance, and Car Wash, Care & Reconditioning.

Hong Kong Auto Parts Industry Association has, for the first time, launched an official country pavilion at Automechanika Dubai, comprising of exhibitors from across the full automotive aftermarket sector. Speaking at the official opening ceremony, Norman WH Ng, president of pavilion organiser Hong Kong Auto Parts Industry Association, said the participation at Automechanika Dubai has been two years in the making.

“We are so excited to finally be here – this is a great moment for us, our partners and our association,” said Ng. “We have participated in other Automechanikas across the world, but this is our first time in Dubai, and we are looking forward to engaging with the industry and forging new partnerships over the next three days.”

Day One also saw a dual partnership signed between Minerals Circles Bearings (MCB), one of the region's leading bearing distributors, and leading international automotive spare part suppliers Corteco (Germany) and GMB (United States). The partnership will allow Minerals Circles Bearings greater access to international markets, specifically opening supplier networks for its growing electric car bearings division.

Commenting on both partnerships, Hassanein Alwan, Managing Director, Mineral Circles Bearings, said: “With the introduction of electric cars in recent years, Mineral Circles Bearings rises to meet the latest industry demands through a partnership with GMB and Corteco. With the South Korean electric car market expansion at a CAGR of about 33.8 per cent in the forecast period of 2023-2028, these partnerships strategically position us to deliver superior electric water pumps and much more.”

Returning this year is the Automechanika Academy, which is taking place across all three days of the show and includes speakers and panellists such as Kyle Weber, Customer Journey & Innovation Manager at CEER Motors, the region’s first electric vehicle manufacturer, and Aasif Khan, Industry Advisor - Discrete Industries at SAP.

Subharshee Ramarathnam, Principal Consultant - Mobility Practice, Frost & Sullivan, presented an overview of the vehicle aftermarket both regionally and globally on Day One. Discussing the number of light vehicles in operation across the GCC, Ramarathnam revealed there are 17.4m currently on the road, with more than 8.5m in Saudi Arabia and 4.1m in the UAE. A three per cent compound annual growth rate will see the number of light vehicles rise to 19.1m by 2025.

The opening day’s sessions also included a panel discussion focused on evolving leaderships amid market disruption and newer challenges facing the automotive sector. Touching on the growth of a subscription for service model such as that of Uber and Careem, online-to-offline purchasing journeys, potential hydrogen-powered vehicles, and the proliferation of electric scooters, the panel painted an image of a changing industry.  

“The automotive sector has been the same for the past 50-60 years, but it will not be the same in 10 years,” said Tony Abouzolof, co-founder and managing director at Syncron. “There are so many disruptions and changes happening all at the same time. I think in 10 years, we won’t even talk about the automotive sector – we will talk instead about ‘mobility’.”

More information is available at www.automechanikadubai.com

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Automechanika Dubai in social media:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AutomechanikaDu
Twitter: www.twitter.com/automechanikaDu
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCpUHjMCIYZtOyLfs0
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Instagram: www.instagram.com/automechanikadu/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/automechanikadu/

About Automechanika Dubai

Automechanika Dubai is the largest international automotive aftermarket trade show in the Middle East taking place at the World Trade Centre between 22 and 24 November 2022. Automechanika Dubai acts as the central trading link for markets that are difficult to reach connecting the wider Middle East, Africa, Asia, and key CIS countries.

For more information, please visit our website.

Background information on Messe Frankfurt

The Messe Frankfurt Group is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. The Group employs approximately 2,300* people at its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and in 30 subsidiaries around the world. In 2021, the company had to contend with the challenges posed by the pandemic for the second consecutive year. Annual sales will be approximately €140* million after having been as high as €736 million in 2019 before the pandemic. Even in difficult times caused by the coronavirus pandemic, we are globally networked with our industry sectors. We serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of the Group’s key USPs is its closely knit global sales network, which extends throughout the world. Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. We are expanding our digital expertise with new business models. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services. With its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent).

For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com

* Preliminary figures for 2021

About Messe Frankfurt Middle East

Messe Frankfurt Middle East’s portfolio of 16 exhibitions includes Automechanika Dubai, Automechanika Riyadh, Beautyworld Middle East, Beautyworld Saudi Arabia, Hardware + Tools Middle East, Hypermotion Dubai, Intersec, Intersec Saudi Arabia, Gifts & Lifestyle Middle East, Light Middle East, Materials Handling Middle East, Materials Handling Saudi Arabia, Middle East Cleaning Technology Week, Paperworld Middle East, Prolight + Sound Middle East, and SPS Automation Middle East.

For more information, please visit our website at www.messefrankfurtme.com