Oh yes! 12/12/2012 sure was a special date. The minister of Commerce and Industry drove the first Saudi made truck in Dammam. Twenty five thousand trucks will be delivered by 2017 from this factory, according to the CEO of Japanese Isuzu.
Well, here we are! From buyers of 24,000 Isuzu trucks annually, to makers and exporters of them. The possibility was always there, till the right guy made it visible. The number of open positions by such a move hits up to 4,000 jobs in Riyadh and 800 jobs in Dammam. This is industry and that is the least it could offer.
The fancier is yet to come. Land Rover, according to Saudi press, will be present in few months. The location is Yanbu, another industrial zone to the west of Saudi Arabia. The Indian Tata is involved off course, knowing that such a fancy brand should come closer and with less cost to the No. 1 customer. The Gulf region, at the moment, is the most important market as calculations of economic growth hold them as secure oil producers.
Today’s Saudi perspective, from east to west, the space and support welcomes global industrial powers to discover the new possibility of nearing their products to Asia, Arab world and the Gulf region.
— The writer is Chairman, Saudi Cartoon & Animation Society
— Twitter: @abdullahsayel
