RIYADH, 28 November 2006 — KIA Motors Saudi Arabia announced yesterday in a press conference here that it aims to open 36 branches all over the Kingdom by next year.
“Our aim is to make available the full range of KIA models in order to meet the needs of the Saudi market,” said M.S. Lee, president of regional headquarters for Middle East & Africa Operations.
According to the company, 22 branches are already operational in cities all over the Kingdom. “We were able to open 10 KIA showrooms in the main cities across the Kingdom, in addition to 12 resellers in hub-towns,” he added.
Muhammad Muhawesh, chief operating officer, said that in the past year over 300 Saudis have been trained by KIA in the Kingdom as part of its Saudization program.
He also said that KIA Motors Saudi Arabia is studying the possibility of opening a technical training institute for Saudis.
Muhawesh said that as of last year, sales of KIA cars in the Kingdom constituted 3 percent of the total sale of cars in the Saudi market.
“Our aim is to hike that percentage to 5 percent by next year,” he added.
Reporters were given a tour and briefing of many of the company’s cars that are sold in the Saudi market.
“KIA is the proud recipient of two safety awards by the Department of Traffic and Road Safety (DTRS) in the US,” said one of the officials, during a briefing about KIA Optima and KIA Carnival.
KIA Optima, a mid sedan, won five awards for the safety of all seats in the front & side crash tests carried out by DTRS of the Ministry of Transportation.
As for KIA Carnival, a minivan, it won the five stars award for “Grand Safety” which was given by the American Safety Organization.