Khaleej Times Online (Dubai) - United Nations sanctions on Iran, and regional unrest in Libya and Syria will have some negative impact on UAE's auto parts re-exports, leading distributors said.
However, they ruled out any noticeable decline in supply of auto parts from Japan to Dubai as a result of the tsunami and its nuclear fallout.
Michael Dehn, Group Exhibitions Director of Epoc Messe Frankfurt, organiser of Automechanica Middle East, said disasters in Japan would not have a nay immediate repercussions in supply of auto part because of huge existing stocks maintained by the Japanese companies. Another reason is that at present automobile parts for Japanese vehicles are manufactured not entirely in that country, but also in many countries around the world, he said at The media roundtable. According to the Statistics Department of Dubai Customs, the total foreign trade in 2008 was $250 billion which dropped to $200 billion in 2009. Statistics further showed that the three main trans shipment destinations for auto related products are Iran at $749 million, Iraq $141 million and Pakistan $73 million.
The media roundtable was attended by senior representatives of the automotive aftermarket industry such as Guido Gring, Vice President of the Automobile Aftermarket Sales Independent Middle East and Africa and an official of Robert Bosch Middle East FZE., K.K. Singh, Manager – Truck Retreading & OTR Retreading, Al Dobowi and Ousama Abu Khader, Sales and Marketing Director of Schaeffler Group.
Dehn said Epoc Messe Frankfurt is involved in a worldwide campaign against fake auto parts since 2006. "Through our exhibitions we try to raise awareness against fake auto spare parts with our exhibitors." He said that although, statistics of fake auto parts are hard to come by, "There is a sense that there is a big problem in this regards in Dubai and the UAE." Abu Khader of the Schaeffler Group called for raising public awareness about fake auto spare parts and the danger to life posed by such products.
Mahmut Gazi Bilikozen, Senior Show Manager of Automechanika Middle East said there would be 1,067 exhibitors in this year's Automechanika exhibition taking place June 7- 9. The exhibitors will be coming from 48 countries with 20 country pavilions in this year's exhibition. The biggest country pavilion this year will be from Germany. Last year there were 1067 exhibitors.
