Daimler has opened its first regional center for commercial vehicles for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), situated in Dubai, UAE. Daimler Commercial Vehicles Middle East & North Africa (DCV MENA) will support 19 countries - from Morocco to Pakistan - from its regional office in Dubai. The new entity will be responsible for the group's full commercial vehicles portfolio in the region – from the Mercedes-Benz Citan city van to the heavy-duty Mercedes-Benz Actros truck. The upcoming reuptake of commercial vehicle activities in Iran will also be managed from Dubai. "Our new Regional Center will allow us to respond even faster and better to the needs of our customers. It focuses entirely on the commercial vehicle business. We are convinced that this new setup is an important step to benefit further from the growth potential of this region in the sales and after-sales business," said Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Daimler Trucks & Buses, at the opening of DCV MENA in Dubai. The establishment of DCV MENA enables an even stronger focus on the specific characteristics of the commercial vehicles business and even closer sector-specific engagement with customers and markets within the region. DCV MENA is the first of six regional centers being opened for Daimler's commercial vehicles business around the world. Similar bases will also follow for Central Africa, Southern Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Latin America within the next few months. Until now, Daimler had managed these regions primarily from its group headquarters in Stuttgart. Further decentralization will keep the business even more in tune with the market. The many years of product and service-related expertise pay off in this respect just as much as the broad portfolio of products offered by the group's various commercial vehicles brands. The DCV MENA Regional Center offers Mercedes-Benz trucks, and FUSO vehicles, Mercedes-Benz vans as well as Mercedes-Benz and Setra buses. Region with long-term growth potential Middle East and North Africa is a promising growth region for Daimler's commercial vehicles. This year experts predict somewhat weaker economic dynamics and general economic growth of only 2.5 percent. But from 2016 to 2019 the expansion rate in the region should rise to more than 4 percent on an annual average. Roland Schneider, President & CEO of Daimler Commercial Vehicles MENA, pointed out that "the new Regional Center is a clear sign of our commitment to the region. The markets of the Middle East and North Africa are very important to us, and offer substantial potential for growth. Today's opening in Dubai therefore represents the next logical step." The three biggest sales markets in the region for Daimler's trucks, vans and buses are the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. These three countries account for approximately two thirds of all deliveries in the MENA region. Between 2011 and 2014, unit sales of trucks, buses and vans in the region grew by an average of 23 percent p.a. In 2014 the group sold 45.900 commercial vehicles in the region. The Regional Center will be responsible for managing sales activities in the following markets: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen. The new Regional Center is located in the Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai, which is operated by the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (JAFZA). Commenting on the new Regional Centre, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman, DP World and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation said: "We are pleased with Daimler AG's decision to establish its new Regional Center for commercial vehicles in Dubai. As a world-class facilitator and logistics hub, we are committed to provide our customers all the support needed to make their operations seamless. Our conviction and approach is in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to position Dubai as the most favored investment destination in the world." On Daimler's history in Dubai: In November 1998, the group established its cross-divisional sales entity DaimlerChrysler Middle East in Dubai. This became Daimler Middle East & Levant in March 2008 following the separation from Chrysler. At the end of 2014, the decision was made as part of the group-wide "Customer Dedication" strategy to align the sales structures of the commercial vehicles and passenger car business even more closely with the relevant target groups. As part of this, DCV MENA will focus on commercial vehicles activities in the region in the future. There are currently 62 employees from 19 different countries working at DCV MENA. The sales, after-sales and replacement parts activities for each market are organized via a network of exclusive general distributors.
