JEDDAH — The Abdul Latif Jameel Group (ALJG) has formed a joint venture with Japan's Sumimoto Corp. to distribute Komatsu heavy equipment brands in the Kingdom, ALJG said on Thursday. The new joint venture company is branded as Abdul Latif Jameel Heavy Equipment (ALJHE) which will sell the “latest and most reliable” heavy equipment to meet Saudi Arabia's growing demand for such equipment, it said in a statement. The joint-venture agreement was forged on Wednesday at the Ritz Carlon Hotel in Riyadh in the presence of Japanese Ambassador Jiro Kodera, senior Saudi government officials and representatives of leading companies in the Kingdom's construction and industrial sector. “ALJHE will provide technologically advanced Komatsu equipment to the Saudi market, including excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, motor-graders, rigid and articulated dump trucks,” it said in the statement. Mohammad Arif Chishti, Managing Director of ALJHE, said ALJ's investment in the heavy equipment sector “is aligned to Abdul Latif Jameel's commitment toward advancing the development of Saudi Arabia”. “By providing world-class construction and allied equipment, coupled with top-quality guest support standards as well as Shariah-compliant financing, we are doing more than just supplying products,” he said. The joint-venture company said Saudi Arabia's construction industry has an increasing demand for heavy equipment due to a large number of project across in various sectors. ALJHE will contribute toward strengthening the heavy equipment sector's role in the development of the national economy, Chishti said. “Guest care is central to our business. We endeavor to become our guests' preferred partners, supporting them through the life of their equipment,” he said. He said that, aside from selling equipment, the company will provide consultancy advice to its clients on types of equipment they should buy or rent, propose financing solutions, onsite repairs, training of operators, among others. “Our guest support standards ensure best in class up-time, thereby providing optimum utilization of the equipment,” he said. “Sumitomo operates Komatsu distributors in various countries around the globe and this experience is immediately benefiting ALJHE. Our guests can thus expect operating standards that are the best in industry.” — SG
