Saudi Arabia’s automotive ecosystem is set for a rapid transformation in the coming years, with 20 percent of the female population, or 3 million drivers, expected to be added to the Kingdom’s roads by 2020, a recent whitepaper stated.

An October report said the lifting of the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia in June, along with recovering oil prices and economic policies aimed at boosting consumer spending, will result in an 8 percent per annum increase of passenger vehicles sales until 2022.

The whitepaper, published by global research company Aranca, added that in addition to new car sales, the positive impact of a new customer segment over the next 1-3 years will be felt in the Kingdom’s automotive aftermarket, which was valued at $7.4 billion in 2017.

According to Aranca, car parc (vehicles in operation), in Saudi Arabia stood at 7.3 million in 2017, with 438,000 new passenger cars and 110,000 new commercial vehicles sold for the year. Tires accounted for the greatest slice of revenue in the Saudi spare parts market, with a 30 percent share in 2017 ($2.2 billion), followed by lubricants ($1.4 billion), batteries ($400 million), and other components ($3.4 billion).

Aranca’s whitepaper was published exclusively ahead of Automechanika Jeddah 2019, a dedicated trade show for the automotive aftermarket and service industry in the Kingdom’s western region. The 3rd edition of the three-day event will take place from Feb. 26-28 at the Jeddah Center for Forums and Events, featuring more than 150 exhibitors from 20 countries awaiting fresh opportunities.

Meanwhile, rising vehicle parc is setting the stage for solid growth in the Kingdom’s aftermarket. Aranca said 10 million vehicles will ply Saudi roads by 2022, including 6.5 million passenger vehicles and 3.5 million commercial vehicles. As a result, demand for spare parts and related auto services will grow 6 percent annually, reaching a value of $9.8 billion in 2022.

A market ripe with opportunity will be underlined by the 3rd edition of Automechanika Jeddah, which is co-organized by Dubai-based Messe Frankfurt Middle East and Saudi-headquartered ACE Exhibitions.

“With two successful editions to back, Automechanika Jeddah 2019 is strongly poised to target the new upcoming segments of the automotive industry, where a huge number of female drivers will ply their vehicles and in the long run will be potential customers for the aftermarket industry,” said Zahoor Siddique, vice president, ACE Exhibitions.

Mahmut Gazi Bilikozen, Automechanika Jeddah’s show director, said: “Longer warranty periods, growing vehicle parc, and environmental factors that lead to high wear and tear on car parts also provide added impetus in the auto aftermarket, with Automechanika Jeddah 2019 presenting an unrivaled platform for global suppliers to tap into emerging opportunities.”

The international presence at Automechanika Jeddah 2019 will be underlined by five country pavilions from Germany, the US, Turkey, Korea and China.