General Motors to support regional Anti-Counterfeit Seminar

The seminar, organized by the Chamber and supported by the Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Industry, will address the growing problem of counterfeit products and their impact on business and safety.

"The problem is a growing one in the automotive industry," said Joe Elenz, Aftersales Director for GM. "The profusion of counterfeit auto parts around the world is a serious threat to manufacturers, retailers and consumers alike, with counterfeiters are becoming increasingly savvy.

"We are therefore delighted to put our support behind this important seminar by the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce," he added. "Like us, the Chamber is taking the issue very seriously, and extending the focus beyond auto parts. Set to highlight the key issues facing the international counterfeit threat, I am sure it will add value to our own ongoing programme of community education which we are undertaking with local governments and law enforcement agencies."

According to Elenz, statistics reveal that the number of counterfeit automotive parts available in the Middle East now encompasses 20 per cent of the total spare parts market.

Speakers at the two-day seminar include experts from all over the GCC, and topics will include commercial forgery, commercial fraud, legal punishment, experiments, role of public and private sectors in combating fraud, as well as some successful case studies in Kuwait and the UAE for combating commercial forgery and imitation.