CAIRO: The 13th edition of Automech Akhbar El Youm, the annual auto trade fair is to kick off today with an invitation only opening to officially start on June 5. The fair which features vehicles, buses, motorcar workshops, service station equipment, automobile spare parts, accessories and feeding industries in the Mena region, will welcome 400 international companies from 16 countries and almost 500,000 visitors to 40,000 square meters of exhibition space, at the Cairo International Fair Ground. It will run to June 9. "The presence of the majority of leading automotive companies in AUTOMECH highlights the importance of this much-awaited annual industry event, said Hany Khafagy, director of Automech car division. "We are particularly pleased with the participation of Mercedes, which is one of the key accomplishments of this year's edition. Visitors and buyers can also look forward to significant product launches to the Egyptian market during the event. According to the fair's organizers, more than 90 percent of the major automotive companies operating in Egypt will showcase their products and services including Toyota; Audi; Volkswagen; BMW; Mercedes Benz; MINI; Brilliance Auto; Jaguar; Maserati; Land Rover; Lincoln; Ford; Hyundai; Subaru; Suzuki; Nissan; Renault; Komodo; Skoda Auto; Fiat; Esperanza; Bentley; Ferrari; KIA; Daihatsu; Honda; Chevrolet; and Opel. Several Chinese automotive manufacturers will also display their new car brands at the event. "This event provides a significant platform for all members of the automotive manufacturing and services sectors to expand their business operations in the region; it provides opportunities for appointing regional distributors and networking with present and future partners. AUTOMECH is a particularly important venue for the spare parts and feeding sectors, as offers the chance to interact with the world's top industry manufacturers and service providers, said Hamdy Mashaal, director of Automech spare parts division of AUTOMECH. Countries such as China, Turkey, and Thailand show keen interest in regional market and share with large pavilions in Automech. The Chinese pavilion will feature 58 companies, while Turkey will be represented by 10 exhibitors. Thailand will showcase the products of 17 local companies. Automech is organized by ACG-ITF, an organizer of international trade exhibitions in the Mena region. Automech was inaugurated in 1996 and has been held in partnership with Akhbar El Youm Establishment since 2001. Automech 2008 will include exhibitors from Germany; France; China; the Czech Republic; Romania; India; Italy; Japan; South Korea; Singapore; Thailand; Taiwan; Turkey; UK; the US; and host country Egypt. "Automech continues to maintain a strong industry following due to its major influence on the Middle Eastern automotive sector. This event will showcase the latest industry technologies and innovations, while providing an excellent platform for international manufacturers and suppliers to interact with buyers from Egypt, the Middle East and Africa. The show achieved a regional record for automotive show visitors last year, as 420,000 visitors attended the event, including more than 18,000 traders. We expect this year's edition to surpass 2007's already strong performance, said Medhat Ghozzi, vice president of ACG-ITF. The direct consumer division of the show will also witness attractions such as special offers by some companies for visitors, as well as discounts on installments provided by some agents, and special incentives and programs for car loans.
