Interview with Khaled Arafa, General Manager, Goodyear Middle East & Africa

What was the decision behind opening the Goodyear brand store of Tire.ae at Al Nouf National Tire Center now? And why in Abu Dhabi?

The launch of the new Goodyear brand store of Tire.ae, the retail arm of Al Nouf National Tire, essentially, is an expansion of our commitment to delivering our best-in-class mobility technology across the UAE. As a brand with almost 40 years of history in the country, it is important that we continue to enhance how we serve our customer base. This has been made possible through our exclusive distributor in UAE, Swaidan Trading company, whom we have been working with to improve driving experiences in the UAE, and Tire.ae.

There is no better place for the new Goodyear brand store than the location in Mussafah. The junction it sits on has historically been associated with tires. Being a part of the association was a key consideration when connecting with our local customers.

What types of customers does Goodyear serve in the country?

It was important to us that a full suite of services and products were made available at the new Goodyear brand store. While passenger vehicles are an extremely important part of our customer base, we are also reinforcing our commitment to providing premium tires and smoother driving experiences across the entire mobility segment. This includes tires for a full range of heavy-duty trucks, pick-ups, buses and vans.

What products and services will be offered through the brand store and how do you see this impacting UAE customers?

As an expansion of our operation in the UAE, the new brand store will offer consumers a greater level of convenience and access. A comprehensive choice of Goodyear tires for sedans, SUVs and 4x4s are available. Through Tire.ae, the brand store also delivers a full suite of services, including fitting, inspection, replacement and wheel balancing.

What can we expect from Goodyear in the Middle East and Africa in the near future? What have you got planned?

Our spirit for innovation and drive for excellence put Goodyear at the heart of the mobility revolution. As we explore new technology to meet the ever-evolving needs of our customers, we continue to partner with other key stakeholders to shape the future of mobility.

And the future of mobility is, in some ways, already here. Earlier in May, Goodyear showcased airless tires (non-pneumatic tires or NPTs), designed for autonomous vehicles recently in Luxembourg. At Goodyear we believe the future of mobility will be multi-modal, where traditional car ownership, shared mobility services and autonomous vehicles will all share the roads together. With a connecting web structure, the NPT can increase uptime and performance of the autonomous vehicles by eliminating the problems caused by a loss of tire pressure, ensuring smoother operations on the road.