CAIRO: About 500,000 visitors from across the Middle East are expected to attend the 14th annual AUTOMECH Akhbar El-Youm exhibition, which will kick off tomorrow. The exhibition that runs to June 8 will bring together major manufacturers, service providers, retailers and other players in the regional automotive industry. In addition to an extensive showcase of cars, buses and trucks, spare parts and vehicle accessories will also on display. The AUTOMECH exhibition underscores the rapidly expanding automotive industry in the Middle East. The region does a multi-billion dollar business in vehicle sales, service and parts. Egypt is a leader in the regional automotive industry, boasting one of the fastest growing markets in the Middle East and Africa. Egypt is also a leader in the auto assembly sector, hosting local operations of major manufacturers including General Motors, Peugeot and BMW. As the sector expands, events like AUTOMECH help regional players stay abreast of developments in the industry. "The phenomenal growth of the regional automobile industry in recent years has boosted the significance of specialized trade shows like AUTOMECH, explained Ahmed Ghozzi, Chairman and CEO of show organizers ACG-ITF. "With regional governments extensively adopting strategies to diversify their economies, the automobile sector has received substantial support in the form of favorable policies and incentives, which has prompted industry players to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technological developments in the sector. "AUTOMECH 2009 will provide an opportunity for participants to be familiar with the very best the regional automobile industry has to offer, he continued. The event's organizers have taken pains to ensure that this year's exhibition is the best yet, undertaking significant logistical changes to facilitate the success of the exhibition. "Visitors will notice a tangible change this year, with regards to the layout of the exhibition area that will make it easier for visitors to freely move from one hall to the other. The venue will also feature a separate entertainment section that will host musical concerts featuring famous international performers, said Yosry Abdul Maksoud, Operations Manager at ACG-ITF. This year's exhibition will also feature the launch of carlog.com, a new website helping to bring the process of buying, selling and maintaining cars online. "Carlog.com is an online platform tying both the consumer with the supplier of various automotive related goods and services from car manufactures, lenders, spare parts manufactures, to car rental companies. "We chose Egypt as the site's first market due to the online demographics with over 12 million people online as well as the automotive industry landscape in Egypt, explained Omar Soudodi, CEO of Carlog.com. The AUTOMECH Akhbar el Yom exhibition runs through June 8 at the Cairo International Fair Grounds.
