Automechnika Dubai, the 18th edition of the Middle East’s largest international trade show for the automotive aftermarket industry, will aim to lift the hood on a rapidly transforming and maturing sector where digitisation is the new driver.
The trade show was officially opened by Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) & Commissioner General for Infrastructure, Urban Planning and Well-Being.
Organised by Messe Frankfurt Middle East, Automechnika Dubai is now being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and runs until Thursday, 16 December. It has exhibitors from 47 countries and 12 national pavilions, all demonstrating just how far the sector has come in its technological transformation and signalling more change ahead.
Mahmut Gazi Bilikozen, Show Director of Automechanika Dubai, said: “Technology advances are impacting all segments of the industry and are in evidence across all six sectors of the show.
“This represents a seismic shift in the regional industry, which is advancing rapidly in terms of service provision, product innovation and professional standards. This is an industry which has now come of age.
“Compared to 2019, we have seen a 40% increase in senior management and an 18% increase in procurement and purchasing personnel pre-registering for the show – another signal of increased business activity and interest in finding new partners. Visitors have also pre-registered from 143 countries, so we’re expecting plenty of activity over the next three days.”
Automechanika Dubai features six sectors: tires & batteries; car wash, care & reconditioning, repair & maintenance; parts & components; electronics &systems as well as accessories & customisation.
For the first time, the show will feature a comprehensive awards ceremony recognising excellence in products, services, personnel and training within the regional industry and a Tools and Skills Challenge – an action-packed live stage where workshop specialists can demonstrate their skills in tire changing, tire mounting and smart dent removal.
The scale of transformation impacting the sector has been summed up by Romanian show newcomer Wemzer Industries, which says the sector is now increasingly aware of its need to contribute to global ‘greener world’ endeavours.
With Wemzer now producing OEM specified standard ceramic and carbon-free products, the company’s Managing Director Amin Uz Zaman identified additive manufacturing, remanufacturing, e-commerce, hybrid/electric drive trains and mobility as a service as the new sector drivers.
Zaman said: “The automotive aftermarket is undergoing big disruption. With electrification and digitisation driving change, we are reshaping the way customers, automotive suppliers, and industry stakeholders think of cars and driving and how business in the automotive aftermarket is conducted and value is created.
“The massive penetration of internet connections and smartphones has driven the customer’s expectation for a seamless, comfortable, and most importantly a transparent shopping experience. The automotive industry has probably delayed in embracing this transformation, but the pandemic accelerated the process and now we are witnessing a massive digitisation of the industry.”
With industry analysts forecasting the GCC’s automotive parts retail revenue will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.8% to US$6.84 billion in 2025, there’s much at stake for industry players facing greater than ever competition. Keys to success are being outlined at the Automechanika Dubai Academy where experts are probing the industry’s region outlook, the impact of electrification within the GCC, digital trends, sector diversification and fourth industrial revolution outcomes.
