(MENAFN- Mid-East Info) Strong alignment between government vision, company operational programs and strategic investors are accelerating the shift towards sustainable transport

Automechanika Dubai is expected to host more than 2,400 exhibitors from over 60 countries across 20 halls, 17 international pavilions, and 12 dedicated show features

The 22nd edition of Automechanika Dubai to take place from 9 – 11 December 2025, at the Dubai World Trade Centre

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.

The day closed with insights on the region's resilience and growth potential, including Shehab Sultan Mesmar of Dubai Auto Market, who highlighted the aftermarket ecosystem's next frontier, followed by a panel on Future-Proofing Supply Chains Through Localisation with Vishnu Suresh, Kearney, Rajkumar Venkatapathy, Central Motors and Equipment, Aftaab Aboobacker of Bilstein Group, Sajith Sulayman, Autotek who examined how strengthening regional supply capabilities can mitigate global disruptions and build long-term industry stability.

Tommy Le, Show Manager of Automechanika Dubai at Messe Frankfurt Middle East, said:“The Automechanika Network provides the aftermarket community with a unique space for forward-looking dialogue. By hosting the 23rd edition in Abu Dhabi, we broadened the conversation to include fresh perspectives from across the industry. These discussions offer valuable insights as we build towards Automechanika Dubai 2025 this December.”

Automechanika Dubai, the largest international automotive aftermarket trade exhibition in the Middle East and Africa, will return to the Dubai World Trade Centre from 9 to 11 December 2025. The 22nd edition will welcome over 2,400 exhibitors from more than 60 countries, featuring 20 international pavilions and expanded coverage across 20 halls.

About Automechanika Dubai:

Automechanika Dubai is the largest international automotive aftermarket trade show in the Middle East taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre between 9 – 11 December 2025. Automechanika Dubai acts as the central trading link for markets that are difficult to reach connecting the wider Middle East, Africa, Asia and key CIS countries.

About Messe Frankfurt:

The Messe Frankfurt Group is the world's largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With a workforce of some 2,500 people at its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and in 29 subsidiaries, it organises events around the world. Group sales in financial year 2024 were € 775 million. We serve our customers' business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of Messe Frankfurt's key strengths is its powerful and closely knit global sales network, which covers around 180 countries in all regions of the world. Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. We are using our digital expertise to develop new business models. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services.

Sustainability is a central pillar of our corporate strategy. Here, we strike a healthy balance between ecological and economic interests, social responsibility and diversity.

With its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent).

About Messe Frankfurt Middle East:

Messe Frankfurt Middle East's portfolio of exhibitions includes: Automechanika Dubai, Automechanika Riyadh, Beautyworld Middle East, Beautyworld Saudi Arabia, Intersec, Intersec Saudi Arabia, Gifts & Lifestyle Middle East, Logimotion, Light + Intelligent Building Middle East and Paperworld Middle East. In the 2024/25 event season, Messe Frankfurt Middle East exhibitions combined featured 7,450 exhibitors from over 68 countries and attracted 249,500 visitors from 164 countries.

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