Apollo Tyres to enter Saudi Arabia in partnership with Al-Jomaih Tyres
Apollo tyres, world's 7th largest tyre manufacturer, will be entering into partnership with Al-Jomaih Tyres to enter Saudi Arabia. The company would 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 the segments, in the next couple of years, mentioned Apollo. The tyres sold in Saudi Arabia would be customised to meet the local market requirements and would be covered under a 5-year warranty from the date of manufacturing. The company had set-up its hub for the Middle East and Africa region, in Dubai, in the year 2011
Shubhro Ghosh, Group Head, ASEAN, Middle East & Africa, Apollo Tyres Ltd, commented "The entry into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the culmination of a long-term product planning and development programme. We are now ready with products suited to cater to the Saudi market, which is the largest and important replacement tyre market in the Middle East region, through our dedicated team of sales and service professionals, and a very able business partner in Al-Jomaih Tyres."
"Saudi Arabia has a market potential of approximately 22 million tyres, and we have set a very aggressive target for ourselves, of selling nearly 800,000 tyres per annum, including both commercial vehicle and passenger vehicle tyres, within the next five years", he added.
Commenting on the collaboration with Apollo Tyres, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Jomaih, CEO, Al-Jomaih Tyres, said "We are highly impressed with the quality and performance reputation of Apollo's tyres. We have noticed that the premium tier 2 market in Saudi has been expanding at a fast pace and Apollo Tyres meets the need of local customers who are seeking quality products at competitive prices."
Earlier this month, Apollo Tyres announced partnership with Global Automotive Research Centre (GARC) to establish the first of its kind test track in India, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, for testing wet grip of tyres, which is one of the primary safety tests. Apollo Tyres provided the technical expertise to get the track ready for testing wet grip of tyres, as per the standard specifications. The readiness of the test track is linked to the Indian Government's plan to implement Star Rating of tyres, in line with the Tyre Labelling regulation in Europe.
This is with the objective to ensure safety, the economic and environmental efficiency of road transport by promoting fuel-efficient and safe tyres with low noise levels. A new Automotive Industry Standard, AIS 142, in line with UNECE R 117 is prepared. It comprises evaluation of tyres with regards to rolling sound emissions, adhesion on wet surfaces and rolling resistance. GARC is one of the state-of-the-art centres established by Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Govt of India (under NATRiP), located at Oragadam near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It has been authorised as the test agency under CMVR 126 by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Govt of India
