Arab forklift manufacturer announces massive regional expansion at Big 5 PMV

The Gulf Automobile Industry Corp is responding to industry demand for its products, which include cars, pick up trucks and the Camel forklift, by moving from its 14,000 square metre factory in Abu Dhabi to a 3 million square metre facility in Saudi Arabia.

Dr Nasser Hamad Al Hajeri, Chairman of Gulf Automobile Industry Corp, said the expansion, which will take place throughout 2010 over two phases, starting with a 109,000 square metre factory in the Kingdom, is part of the company's ambitious plans for the next ten years.

"We are forecasting sales of AED50million for 2010; the move to a larger manufacturing plant was necessary to meet the demand for our products, and while it make sense to be in Saudi Arabia, our biggest market, the UAE continues to offer us strong sales potential", said Dr Al Hajeri.

"We will employ a further 800 members of staff to operate from the new factory, and by 2020 we estimate that the company will employ 11,000 people."

The Camel forklift was launched at the beginning of 2009, when most of the world was suffering amidst the financial downturn. Dr Al Hajeri believes this was an opportune moment to introduce the forklift to the market because of a competitive pricing structure and the regionally-appropriate specifications they have applied to the forklift.
Day 3 Big 5 PMV | 2

"The Camel forklift truck is around 30 per cent cheaper than its competitors but still offers excellent quality. Despite the economic downturn, we have benefited from strong sales since our launch and the product has been well received by the industry," he said.

"We source engines from Nissan and Isuzu in Japan, but we have amended the traditional forklift model to work especially well in the Middle East climate. Each forklift is installed with a filtration system to deal with dust and sand and a cooling mechanism to help with the high temperatures in this region. Air conditioning units can also be added if necessary - a feature no other forklift manufacturer offers."

Interest in the Camel forklift has been high at the Big 5 PMV exhibition, taking place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre until Thursday 26 November. Orders from Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and Sudan were received on the first day, and the company expects to sell between 50 and 75 forklifts throughout the four day exhibition.

The Big 5 PMV is taking place as part of the Big 5, the region's most influential construction and contracting exhibition, organised by dmg world media, with the venue's impressive new state-of-the-art Sheikh Saeed Halls allowing both to be staged under the same roof for the first time.

Making their international show debut, the three new exhibition halls and adjacent Arena have been built to a superior technical specification, with ceiling heights of up to 14 metres and increased weight loading capabilities able to accommodate the huge construction machinery on display at the Big 5 PMV.

Among the biggest attractions at the event are JCB's world-famous Dancing Diggers, the mechanical dancing troupe making their Dubai exhibition debut after thrilling crowds at events world wide with intricate routines set to music.

Day 3 Big 5 PMV | 3

Creating a platform for plant, machinery, construction vehicles and equipment suppliers to meet face to face with key buyers from across the region and overseas, the Big 5 PMV has attracted 149 exhibitors from 20 countries including Italy, China, India and South Korea which each have national pavilions highlighting the strength of their presence.

The event is an example of how the UAE's exhibitions business is working with the country's retail and hospitality industry to recover from the effects of the global financial downturn.

Thousands of exhibitors and buyers pour into the country on a weekly basis throughout the year to attend trade shows, and event organisers like Streamline Marketing Group are partnering with local retailers to capitalise on the spending power they bring with them.

Select retailers at The Dubai Mall are offering attractive discounts to Big 5 PMV exhibitor and visitor badge holders this week, and Jumeirah Emirates Towers is offering a 30 per cent discount on food at their restaurants. Shuttle buses carry exhibitors and visitors to The Dubai Mall, and are also available for transportation between the Financial Centre and Al Jafiliya Dubai Metro stations and the exhibition venue.