NIMR Automotive, the leading manufacturer of light and medium-weight wheeled military vehicles in the Middle East and North Africa, is actively expanding its reach into the Southeast Asian region following agreements with top industry partners in Malaysia and Thailand.

In Malaysia, NIMR and DefTech, the country’s premier armoured and logistics vehicle producer, have announced plans to deepen their relationship with the aim to finalise a formal Strategic Partnership Agreement in early 2018. Under the agreement, DefTech will support NIMR through the marketing and sales of the complete range of NIMR vehicles to Malaysia and other territories in Southeast Asia.

Further signaling its growing role in the region, NIMR has been working closely with Thailand’s FICO Technology and Engineering, FTECH, to explore potential opportunities in the country.

Through the partnership, NIMR’s AJBAN 440A and Long Range Special Operations Vehicle, LRSOV, are earmarked to undergo trials arranged at Thailand’s Military Transport Training Centre. Both vehicles that will be trialed for testing and evaluation in the presence of senior officials from the Thai Armed Forces are currently on display at Defence and Security 2017 in Bangkok.

Speaking on the importance of the partnerships, NIMR’s CEO, Dr. Fahad Saif Harhara Al Yafei, commented, "Following on from the success of our strategic partnership with VOP in the Czech Republic, the ventures with FICO and DefTech represent a key milestone in NIMR’s overall growth, providing a firm foundation for our expansion into the region."

Dr. Al Yafei added, "NIMR has a clear understanding of the threats faced across the region and with our partners we will be able to deliver proven, combat-tested armoured vehicles, capable of addressing these challenges."

Both ventures mark an important step in NIMR’s international growth and its desire to expand into Southeast Asia, a key target market for the company. They also build upon NIMR’s strong background in technology transfer programmes, including its joint venture with Algeria, NIMR Algerie.

NIMR has grown rapidly in recent years and is now one of the top five global OEMs for wheeled armoured vehicles. The company has expanded its range of vehicles to more than 15 variants in both 4x4 and 6x6 models in order to meet a broad range of user requirements, positioning it for wider growth on the international market.