JEDDAH, 20 June 2006 — General Motors (GM) said here on Saturday night that it would consider giving a boost to its training programs as part of the ongoing Saudization drive across the Kingdom.
“Our technical training program in Riyadh is a success and we’ll consider extending it to other parts of the Kingdom including Jeddah and Dammam in six months,” John S. Moran, GM’s sales director for Africa and Middle East operations, told a press conference at the Jeddah Hilton. Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the all-new 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and GMC Denali, Moran said the GM’s battery plant in the Eastern Province has been a “tremendous success.”
The newly unveiled vehicles have started arriving in the showrooms of dealers across the Kingdom. They include Abdullatif Aissa Automotive Company, Aljomaih Automotive Company (AAC), Omar A. Balubaid Company and Universal Motors Agencies.
“With better styling, greater refinement, new safety features, improved build and a host of new features, the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and GMC Denali build on the success of the previous generation of vehicles to deliver a very positive ownership experience. We believe that the arrival of these vehicles will drive further growth for GM in the Middle East and help increase our market share throughout the Kingdom,” Moran added.
“The relationship we have with our four dealer partners here in the Kingdom is one we’re extremely proud of in the region. Their personal involvement in the car business has had an immense bearing on the success we enjoy in Saudi Arabia.”
Asked about the kind of support given to the AAC in Jeddah after a fire caused extensive damage to its Madinah Road facilities earlier this month, Moran said: “We’ve given extraordinary support to Aljomaih, one of our key partners.” The support has enabled the AAC to continue to support its customers with minimal disruption to its services. In fact, the first batch of replacement spare parts arrived at the AAC on June 7, less than a week after the fire.
Representing a new generation of Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV), the all-new, comprehensively redesigned Chevrolet Tahoe builds on the qualities of its predecessor to deliver a sharper driving experience, more power, segment-leading fuel economy, increased interior refinement and improved quietness.
GMC’s professional grade vehicles have reached new levels of refinement and performance with the introduction of the 2007 GMC Yukon. The new Yukon SUVs offer more power and better fuel economy than previous generation models, remaining true to GMC’s reputation for offering ‘more than expected.’
The luxury GMC Denali has become synonymous with upscale refinement, styling and performance and is a strong, unique concept, which combines major SUV attributes with the enhancements found in a luxury sedan.
“These vehicles set new standards in the full-size SUV segment. With the arrival of these vehicles in Saudi Arabia current customers can be assured that they are driving the latest and best of what the full size SUV segment offers,” Moran said, adding that he new models are unequivocally the best yet.”
Asked about Caprice, Moran said: “Caprice has been a huge success in the region (Middle East). It has been a top seller in its class and segment.” Moran, who was accompanied by Marketing Manager-GMC Thierry Sabbagh, Brand Director-Chevrolet & GMC Gerry Groenewegen and Marketing Manager-Chevrolet SUV Samer El-Khalil, said the company’s share of the local and regional market was good. “We expect that to grow,” Morgan added.
