The inaugural edition of Automechanika Riyadh opened for business where more than 150 exhibitors from 21 countries are showcasing their latest solutions to the automotive aftermarket in the Kingdom’s Eastern and Central regions.
Spanning 6500 square metres and running for three days at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Automechanika Riyadh 2018 was inaugurated by Eng. Mansour Abdullah Al-Shathri. Vice Chairman of the Board of Riyadh Chamber.
The biennial three-day event is organised by Messe Frankfurt Middle East in partnership with Saudi-based ACE Exhibitions, and features country pavilions from Germany, USA, Turkey, Korea and China, underlining the importance of the Saudi auto parts, maintenance, and services industry to the global aftermarket community.
It will alternate between the existing Automechanika Jeddah, with the two trade fairs combined offering a dual gateway to Saudi’s entire aftermarket and auto services industry, from Jeddah, Mecca, and Medinah to the West, and Dammam, Dhahran, and Al Khobar to the East.
There was an enthusiastic response on the opening day from trade buyers and transport, fleet and logistics decision makers, as they had direct access to the world’s leading aftermarket brands across six product groups of Parts & Components, Electronics & Systems, Accessories & Customizing, Repair & Maintenance, Car Wash, Care & Reconditioning, and Tyres & Batteries.
Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East, said: “With nearly half of Saudi’s 8,500 aftermarket outlets located in the Eastern and Central regions, it made sense to introduce a dedicated Automechanika trade fair in the Kingdom’s Capital.
“Saudi Arabia is already the Gulf region’s largest auto aftermarket, with revenues from tyres, batteries, lubricants, and other engine components and accessories valued at more than US$7.1 billion in 2017.
Automechanika Riyadh is the 17th global instalment of Automechanika. It will alternate with Automechanika Jeddah, which will next take place in February 2019.