Sheikh Khalid Juffali (left), presents the key to Saudi businessman Haeef Al Gahtani who purchased the 75,000th unit of Mercedes-Benz truck.JEDDAH: National Automotive Industry (NAI), a subsidiary of Juffali Group of Companies, achieved a new milestone with the production of 75,000 units of Mercedes-Benz trucks from its factory in Jeddah, making it the largest assembly plant for Mercedes-Benz in the Middle East. “When the plant was built 32 years ago, many thought that we were making a big mistake by investing in this area of business. Now, we all know we made the right decision. This plant, over the past years, contributed a lot in the production of trucks that met the needs of a broad range of development works in various fields in Saudi Arabia, as well as, contributed in the creation of new job opportunities for Saudi youth aspiring to work in the industrial sector,” Sheikh Khalid Juffali said. Established in 1977 as a joint-venture project between E.A. Juffali & Brothers and Mercedes-Benz, the plant, first of its kind in Saudi Arabia, was inaugurated by the late King Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz to contribute to the Kingdom's construction boom and to boost its economic diversification. The plant, fully committed to international quality standards and Mercedes-Benz specifications, was designed to produce 8,500 trucks per year. Currently its production capacity is 4,000 - 5,000 per year. The truck tonnage currently produced ranges between 20-44 tons. The plant is a recipient of the King Khalid Award “Ideal Factory” for production excellence. As part of its corporate social responsibility, E. A. Juffali & Bros. Company established the “Juffali Vocational Training Center” to train and qualify Saudi youth to meet the plant's requirements. Of the 196 staff employed by the plant, 64 are Saudi nationals working in various departments.
