Page 13 - BRIDGESTONE PR REPORT - OCTOBER 2025

10/10/25, 1:51 PM Industry experts highlight the UAE’s pivotal role in sustainable mobility during Automechanika Dubai networking event
Dubai, UAE: The 23rd edition of the Automechanika Network, which recently took place at Jumeirah
Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, brought together the industry’s leading policymakers, OEMs, suppliers, and
innovators to discuss the trends reshaping the global automotive aftermarket.

The half-day, invite-only session – organised by Automechanika Dubai, powered by Bridgestone MEA

and co-sponsored by DP World – was held under the theme ‘Shifting Gears - Navigating Tech,
Sustainability & Transformation’. The event explored how digitalisation, electrification, and sustainability
are transforming the value chain.

The event opened with a keynote address by Anan Al Amri, Section Head – Alternative & Sustainability

Mobility at Abu Dhabi Mobility, titled “Accelerating the Future: How Sustainable Mobility is Reshaping the
Automotive Aftermarket”, where she highlighted the evolution of the aftermarket with a focus on creating
a sustainable future where every component and service is designed with minimal environmental
impact, and underscoring the collective effort needed to shape the industry’s future.

She said: “I like to say we are no longer talking about the aftermarket, and are in fact talking about the

after future – a future where every component is designed with its second life in mind. Every service is
data-driven and delivered with precision, and every kilometre leaves a smaller footprint than the one
before. In the past, the aftermarket existed to sustain the journey. Today we are the journey. How we
maintain, repurpose, and innovate will determine the lifespan of vehicles, as well as the sustainability of

our cities.

“With the combined efforts of operators, innovators, policy makers, and strategic partners, we have the
chance to shape the industry for the future.”

A strong lineup of sessions addressed a range of topics, including a panel on ‘The Connected
Aftermarket – Telematics, Data, and Digital Innovation,’ moderated by Subhashree Ramarathnam of

Frost & Sullivan. Speakers, including Mohamed Yagoub Mastoor of Ruptela, Vijay Gummadi of Autorox,
and Maneesha Bhatnagar of LeasePlan Emirates, examined how telematics, data, and digital
innovation are redefining the aftermarket and the need for a connected ecosystem to enhance trust and
efficiency.

“The primary challenge we are facing, from a repair shop perspective, is a highly fragmented ecosystem
– repair shops not connected to suppliers, car owners, insurance companies, and fleet operators,” said
Gummadi.

“Due to this lack of a connected ecosystem and its fragmented nature, the primary issue is trust – car
owners don’t trust repair shops in the independent aftermarket. We have to enhance the trust by bringing

connectivity to all the main players,” he added.

The conversation then turned to E-Commerce Platforms as the New Engine for Aftermarket Sales and
Service, where Steven Pickering of Buyparts24, Ashar Ali Minai of Bosch Middle East, Vijay Gummadi of

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