JEDDAH, 11 June 2006 — The Aljomaih Automotive Company has announced that any customer who had a vehicle in the workshop that was damaged by the May 31 fire would be provided a temporary vehicle. Customers will be compensated for their loss, company officials said yesterday.
Aljomaih’s major dealership and service center was gutted and many new vehicles were destroyed along with cars being serviced.
The company is currently working out a settlement with the insurance company and then will determine if the remaining structure should be fixed or demolished.
The company is a dealer of GM vehicles in Saudi Arabia. An estimated 180 customer vehicles were destroyed or damaged in the fire.
Adnan Al-Khamis, GM’s manager of strategic initiative in the Kingdom, told Arab News that the company is planning to add two new showrooms and service centers in Jeddah to accompany the two existing ones, including the one destroyed by the fire which caused an estimated SR80 million in damages.
GM is also working to replenish losses from the fire. “Parts and tools are already on their way to Jeddah,” he said.
The Civil Defense authorities have not disclosed the results of an investigation into the cause of the fire. It was suspected at the time that a diesel tank might have ignited due to an electrical short circuit.
Col. Nami Al-Abdali, Civil Defense spokesman, told the Arab News the investigation report should be ready by this week.
