Continental Plans Significant Middle East Expansion in 2019

Leading German tire and technology company, Continental has signaled its plans for significant expansion in the Middle East region by opening its first-ever office in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The new office has been set up with the goal of reinforcing and expanding the company’s presence in the region.

The new office in Jeddah is a joint venture project with its previous distributer in Saudi Arabia, Almutlak Trade & Industries, and will cater to the growing demand for Continental’s products and services in the kingdom.

Continental made the announcement regarding the new office in Jeddah during an official gathering that was held recently in Dubai, which was hosted by Nikolai Setzer, Member of the Executive Board, Tire Division, Continental AG, and Jon Ander Garcia, Regional Manager for Continental Africa & Middle East.

Commenting on the opening of the new office, Jon Ander Garcia, Regional Manager for Continental Africa & Middle East said that its opening marked an important milestone for the brand not just in Saudi Arabia but also in the Middle East. He said that the new partnership would allow both parties to grow and to strengthen their relationship with Saudi Arabia, and the region as a whole.

Continental also used the occasion to celebrate the inauguration of its first warehouse facility in Jebel Ali, Dubai. The new warehouse will serve as a hub that connects factories in Europe, North America and South America with the brand’s distribution partners in the Middle East.

Commenting on the importance of this development, Jon Ander Garcia, said that the Middle East region has proven to be a key market for Continental from the time the brand set up its regional representation office in 2009. By inaugurating its first-ever warehouse facility in the UAE, the company is ensuring that its customers will enjoy the benefit of its premium services and enjoy seamless experiences.

2019 would also be the year that Continental launches its new digital tire monitoring platform, ContiConnect in the region. The platform is designed especially for commercial vehicles, and will help fleets to maximize efficiency and send alerts if the tire pressure deviates from the pre-defined value.

Last year, Continental had launched ContiPressureCheck in the Middle East. ContiPressureCheck is a first-of-its-kind monitoring system for buses and trucks that has the capability to continuously monitor tire pressure and temperature through sensors placed inside the tire.

In January 2019, Continental also underlined its commitment to give back to the community through the launch of a nationwide campaign that provided 88 underprivileged children drawn from different parts of the UAE with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to escort Asia’s top football stars onto the pitch as official mascots at the AFC Asian Cup 2019.