Suzuki Increases Middle East Presence

Suzuki unveils aggressive strategic plan to increase presence in Middle East market

Leading car manufacturer to release new vehicles customized to address customers' needs and promote Suzuki brand as a 'way of life'

Jeddah April 2, 2007; Suzuki Motors Corp. (SMC), one of the biggest car manufacturers in Japan, has announced that it will implement an aggressive strategic marketing plan that will include the upcoming release of new vehicle types to increase its sales and consolidate its share in the Middle East market. Suzuki gathered all its Middle East dealers to discuss the strategic plan and collect inputs on how to better customize their cars and after-sales services to meet consumer demands during the recent Suzuki Strategic Regional Meeting at the Le Meridien Hotel in Dubai.

Mr. Kazuyuki Yamashita, SMC's Deputy Staff Manager, Middle East & Africa Marketing Group (Automobile), said, "The Middle East is a very important market to Suzuki and has always proved to be full of success for the Japanese brand. Our new models are tailor-made to enhance comfort and efficiency, characters that we believe will further uplift Suzuki's brand image in the region as we prepare to launch more cars."

"We are confident we can carry forward the momentum generated from the success of all our initiatives into our new offerings. As we have done with our previous successful ventures, Suzuki will continue to manufacture cars that relate to their owners, promoting the Suzuki experience as a way of life," added Yamashita.

The Suzuki Strategic Regional Meeting was held to unify the efforts of SMC dealers, which are geared towards enhancing the Suzuki image and providing excellent marketing opportunities for the new cars through a unified marketing, advertising and PR campaign throughout the region. The delegates also discussed strategies to effectively compete in the market and formulated a fixed plan for the year, including a six-month promotional and advertising campaign for its new cars.

The SMC dealers that sent representatives to the Suzuki Strategic Regional Meeting were Mustafa Karam & Sons from Kuwait, Sabeha Trading Corp and Suzuki Yemen Co. from Yemen, Al Rostamani Trading Company from the UAE, Bamarouf Group Suzuki Saudiah from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Moosa Abdul Rahman Hassan & Co. from Oman, G.A. Bazerji & Sons Co. from Lebanon and Al Hadaya Motors from Syria, The Commercial & Industrial Co. from Jordan, Bahrain's Mohammed Jalal & Sons, and Teyseer Motors from Qatar.