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10/10/25, 1:52 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 Autorox, and Hani
Tannir of Al Masaood discussed how digital sales channels are transforming customer access to parts and services,
and the opportunities and challenges of building consumer trust in online platforms.

“Digital will always be our North Star, but in B2B, it is still quite 'fidgital' in nature – you still need the support of a
salesperson, that physical push. We have found that some customers are more advanced and more free-flowing on
the digital side, but we've realised the importance of meeting customers at different levels of adoption. We've had to
establish what our customer language is, versus ours,” added Pickering.

Sustainability was brought into focus in a session on Powering a Sustainable Aftermarket with Circular Economy,
moderated by Nirmal Shani, Global Energy & Sustainability. The panel, featuring Talha Marzouk of OWS Automotive
Solutions, Raji Hattar, Sustainability & ESG Strategy Advisor, and Raya Makawi, Advisor in ESG & Government
Affairs, discussed practical strategies for remanufacturing, recycling, and resource efficiency as essential tools for
achieving greener operations.

Elsewhere, attention shifted to Navigating a Future with EVs and ADAS, moderated by Heiko Seitz of PwC, where Dr
Manfred Braenl, Porsche Middle East & Africa, Dr. Nima Mehrdadi of HELLA Middle East, Roberto Lopes Da Silva,
NIO UAE, and Gurhan Cevikel of Bridgestone Middle East Africa addressed how the widespread adoption of electric
vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems will require new service models, advanced training for technicians,
and investments in supporting infrastructure.

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