Mohammed A. F. Al Kraidees

Can you brief our readers about the evolution of the sector and of your company?

Saudi Arabia has witnessed significant growth and progress over the past four decades. Since the discovery of oil, our leaders have made it a priority to transform the country and develop its infrastructure. And wherever there is a growing economy, vehicles are needed to propel that advancing economy. Ford Motor Company has been in Saudi Arabia since the discovery of oil, with the US President gifting King Abdulaziz multiple Ford cars, and since then the Saudi automobile market only continues to grow. Over the past 38 years, A Jazirah Vehicles sold more than 580,000 Ford and Lincoln vehicles and has built a network and coverage that boasts tens of business outlets that are dedicated to Ford and Lincoln customers across the Kingdom. Al-Jazirah today proudly services an average of 1,400 vehicles through its aftersales operations, including its operational lease network. To ensure the best ownership experience for its customers, Al-Jazirah imports more than 16 KMs of 40-foot containers of spare parts on an annual basis and has more than 1.5% of Ford’s global parts’ exports, a size shared only by 2 other international Ford markets. For almost four decades, Al-Jazirah Vehicles has served and contributed to the growth of the Saudi economy and has grown with it. Ford and Al-Jazirah Vehicles have forged a very strong bond over the years. As a family business, we share similar values and culture with Ford, one that is focused on welcoming guests and growing people. We are always pushing new ideas and best practices and we are proud of the great results and achievements that are stemming from this progressive mindset. We are committed to making a positive contribution to the quality of life in Saudi Arabia and have been very successful so far because we put ourselves in our customers’ shoes and always seek to improve their journey, convenience, and experience.

In a market characterized by fierce competition how do you maintain your leading position and reputation?

We have established and advanced our leading position and reputation by continuously embracing customer centric service excellence and innovation, powered by a passionate, creative, and strong marketing team. Working closely with Ford, we are always pushing the bar higher and introducing new to market ideas. We are the first company ever to launch and promote the sale of a new and affordable vehicle on a food delivery application as we collaborated with Hungerstation, the leading food delivery platform in Saudi Arabia. We pride ourselves in having a deep understanding of the Saudi market. Excellent products coupled with a customer centric aftersales focus have been our driving force. We treat our customers like family, and we have setup easy and convenient communication channels to guarantee ongoing access and the best ownership experience throughout their vehicles’ lifetime. We also collaborate with the Saudi tourism authorities to benefit from our wide portfolio of products and services. As the custodians of Ford, Lincoln, and Polaris brands that are leaders in offroad performance and that are proudly built for the great outdoors, customers can book a ticket through VisitSaudi.com website and enjoy a fun-packed day to test drive our products. We have the best products, including sports cars and multi-purpose trucks. Through our dealership, we own one of the top three leasing companies, which provides clients with full logistics solutions. We have strong and longstanding partnerships within the private sector, supplying highly customizable and reliable range of specialty vehicles such as ambulances, firefighting trucks, as well as specially equipped police and defense cars.   we supply Saudi Aramco with heavy-duty vehicles in support of its massive operations in oil and gas. In the event of an accident, we handle the repairs and provide a substitute vehicle. Our goal is to provide clients with a worry-free solution whereby they do not have to think about logistics.

What are your short-term objectives on your agenda?

Our short-term objectives include doubling our sales volumes in 2023. Despite an amazing and aspirational market growth, the Saudi market is yet to assume its original potential. Our growth is propelled by our highly ambitious and competitive sales force, and we have recently entered the affordable SUVs segment back in November 2022, and it has quickly become one of our bestselling products. In addition to trucks and sedans, we expect SUVs to continue as a growth driver in the short term. In terms of aftersales, we have set and realized targets achieved only by few Ford and Lincoln markets around the globe. 2022 was one of the strongest years in the history of Al-Jazirah Vehicles in aftersales, and we intend to repeat this achievement every year moving forward.