Saudi Arabia’s vast automotive aftermarket is under the spotlight this week, as more than 300 industry professionals attend a three-day road show examining ways to boost access to the Kingdom’s $2.6 billion market for auto parts and accessories. 
The Automechanika road show to Saudi Arabia is currently touring the commercial centers of Jeddah and will next visit Riyadh and Dammam, as manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, traders, key buyers, and government representatives discuss the latest industry trends and business processes in the GCC’s largest automotive market.
The annual road show is a regular feature ahead of Automechanika Dubai 2017, claimed as the MEA’s largest automotive aftermarket exhibition, and Automechanika Jeddah 2017 as Saudi Arabia’s dedicated aftermarket show. 
The 2nd edition of Automechanika Jeddah, organized in partnership with Al-Harithy Company for Exhibitions (ACE), will take place from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events. More than 180 exhibitors from 25 countries are participating in the event that aims to focus on the Kingdom’s thriving aftermarket. 
It comes as Saudi Arabia continues to lead the way as a major market for the global automotive industry and aftermarket, fuelled by rising population growth and a relatively high purchasing power. 
According to analysts Frost & Sullivan, the Kingdom’s passenger vehicle count is estimated to grow to more than 10 million by 2020, comprising nearly 53 percent of the Gulf region’s total vehicle count.
The kingdom is also home to 8,440 audited automotive aftermarket outlets according to another analyst GfK, while a further 5,991 spare part handlers are dotted across the country.
“The Automechanika road show to Saudi Arabia is designed to better understand the fundamentals of doing business in the Gulf region’s most significant automotive aftermarket,” said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East, organizer of Automechanika Dubai and Automechanika Jeddah.

Source: Arab News