Gearing up for success in Material Handling
Abdul Latif Jameel Machinery’s materials handling arm, has opened its first sales, service and spare parts (3S) showroom in a ceremony attended by the Vice President of Sales and Marketing of Toyota Material Handling International, Yoichiro Yamazaki. The Jeddah facility, which was opened in July 2017, aims to sell 600 units per year through its 11-strong sales team. As a sign of its early success, 39 towing tractors were delivered to Saudi Airlines in September. It also provides a spare parts delivery service stretching from Tabouk to Al Qonfozah, and operates 10 mobile workshops. Abdulrazig Eltayeb, Acting Director of Abdul Latif Jameel Industrial Equipment, is keen to drive forward with further developments in the coming years. In 2018, the Jeddah facility will expand its range of electric vehicles, and roll-out a long and short rental service across its full range of vehicles. It also aims to offer a range of used forklift trucks by 2020.
Abdul Latif Jameel Machinery inaugurates new facility in Jeddah
Abdul Latif Jameel Machinery has inaugurated a comprehensive new facility in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The state-of-the-art facility will contribute to the growth of the local economy as it complements the country’s recently announced Vision 2030. Abdul Latif Jameel Machinery is a leading provider of commercial vehicles, heavy equipment, and generator sets in Saudi Arabia, and sells, rents, and provides parts and services for global, industry-leading brands including Komatsu construction and mining equipment. Along with other distinguished guests, the ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by His Excellency Mr. Norihiro Okuda, Ambassador of Japan, Mr. Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, Chairman and CEO of Abdul Latif Jameel and Mr. Tetsuji Ohashi, President and CEO of Komatsu Ltd. Located close to Harmain road in Jeddah’s Al Nakheel district, the facility offers a wide range of services for the industrial and heavy machinery sector. It boasts a comprehensive layout, which includes multiple workshop bays, a component rebuild workshop, and a lubricant sampling laboratory which provides customers access to best-in-class services and technology in a time-efficient manner. The new facility features a competence development center that aims to provide young Saudi talent the opportunity to experience and be part of a specialized work environment. The new facility also includes an ergonomically designed parts counter and parts warehouse which are aimed at enhancing workflow efficiency and providing increased flexibility With the inauguration of the new facility, Abdul Latif Jameel Machinery continues to strengthen its network throughout Saudi Arabia. Earlier in the year, Abdul Latif Jameel announced that it has begun to implement plans to invest close to US$2 bn in the country over the next five years, with US$0.5 bn earmarked for 2016. Mr. Hassan Jameel, Deputy President and Vice Chairman of Abdul Latif Jameel Domestic, commented: “By launching this new facility, we are enhancing further our unique value proposition. This facility in Jeddah will expand our capability to deliver global-standard services quickly and more efficiently to our customers and partners. The new facility also complements our commitment to supporting the government of Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification initiatives, as outlined in the Vision 2030 plan, while creating a greater number of job opportunities and skills training for local talent.” Mr. Tetsuji Ohashi, President and CEO of Komatsu Ltd, said: “Komatsu’s history in Saudi Arabia began in the late 1960s. We have proudly contributed to the development of the country since then. Our partnership with Abdul Latif Jameel Machinery together with this facility will reassure our customers of our continued support to Komatsu’s products and demonstrates a long-term commitment to the Saudi market.” M. Arif Chishti, Managing Director of Abdul Latif Jameel Machinery, said: “The facility was designed to ensure optimal productivity, flexibility, and efficiency, reflecting our ‘Guest First’ commitment to consistently delivering customer-centric excellence. It is essential to leverage our local industry knowledge and expertise to demonstrate our unique capability, and adapt to new business needs rapidly. This facility is a key step towards maximizing that potential.”
Construction boom drives demand for heavy equipment in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s booming real estate sector and growth in commercial infrastructural initiatives is fueling increased demand for heavy construction machinery and material handling equipment in the Kingdom. Industry journal Construct Arabia reports that Saudi Arabia’s construction market is expected to grow at an average of 32-35% per year, while Euromonitor forecasts that demand for lifting and material handling equipment alone will grow by 54% by 2018. With $195.4 billion worth of construction planned in Saudi Arabia over the next three years, Abdul Latif Jameel is uniquely positioned to deliver on this opportunity: Toyota Industrial Equipment Abdul Latif Jameel has been an authorized distributor for Toyota Industrial Equipment and spare parts in the Kingdom for the past 25 years, with a product portfolio that includes petrol, diesel, and electric forklift trucks and towing tractors. Komatsu Construction and Mining Equipment In early 2014, Abdul Latif Jameel formed a joint venture with Sumitomo Corporation of Japan for the Saudi Arabia trading rights for Komatsu, a major heavy equipment brand with a product line-up that includes wheel loaders, excavators, bulldozers, motor graders, dump trucks and pipe layers. In September 2014, the company announced plans to build and operate a state-of-the-art facility in Jeddah to provide easy access to customers as well as best-in-class services in the heavy equipment sector. Located close to the Harmain Road, the facility will boast a comprehensive layout including a guest reception area, parts counter and warehouse, multiple workshop bays, a component rebuild area, training center and equipment test area. As part of its network expansion strategy, Abdul Latif Jameel Heavy Equipment has announced plans to build modern facilities in further locations in Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh, Dammam and Abha. The Jeddah and Riyadh facilities, due to begin operations towards the end of 2015, are designed to ensure optimal productivity, workflow efficiency, and increased flexibility, while giving young Saudi talent the opportunity to experience and be part of a highly specialized work environment. Contributing to the continuous development of Saudi Arabia and the region, Abdul Latif Jameel Heavy Equipment provides world-class construction equipment and specialist training and servicing as well as Sharia-compliant financing. For more information about our new facility in Jeddah, please read the full press release here.