Salah Adib, General Manager of Al Masaood Tyres, Batteries & Accessories Shares his Insights on the UAE Tyre Market
UAE’s tyre sales hits AED 4 billion in 2019
Salah Adib, General Manager of Al Masaood Tyres, Batteries and Accessories (TBA), stated that the UAE recorded high sales numbers in relation to the car tyres and accessories market in 2019; despite a generally calm global automotive market during the same period. Vehicles tyre sales reached AED 4 billion last year, with growth rates between 5-8 per cent projected for 2020.
Mr. Adib urged consumers to verify the source of all tyres prior to purchase in order to avoid acquiring products that do not meet safety specifications in the Gulf region, or ones that do not adhere to particular specifications and are sold below market value, which ultimately may endanger their lives, passengers and other road users.
What was the total number of tyre sales for passenger cars, light vehicles, and heavy and medium trucks in the UAE last year?
In 2019, passenger cars and light trucks tyre sales combined exceeded AED 2.6 billion while heavy and medium vehicles tyre sales reached AED 1.4 billion.
Sales growth
Could you elaborate on the reasons behind recent sales growth and the challenges facing the tyre sector moving forward?
There are several factors that have contributed to the promotion and real-time growth of the sales market. One is passenger car sales, as it is normal for tyre sales to increase whenever new car sales decrease; while other influencing factors driving the growth of the regional tyre market include crude oil prices, competitiveness in relation to imports and exports, and the high rate of foreign investment.
With regards to challenges facing the tyre sales market, price competitiveness, the wide variety of brands, and brands that are neither trusted nor guaranteed by dealerships.
Conformity and Criteria Compliance
What advice do you have for consumers looking to purchase tyres considering there are products within the market that do not meet safety specifications?
Customers must choose tyres with specific criteria that suit the car as failing to do so may be a contributing factor to accidents. At Al Masaood TBA, we constantly provide the very best products in line with international standards and our advice to consumers always includes paying attention to the quality of the tyre, verifying the tyre width, aspect ratio, speed and temperature rating; and not getting influenced by low prices. Furthermore, we strongly recommend checking the sticker which is found on each tyre and urge consumers to be aware of tyre type, specifications and size required for their vehicles according to the GCC Standardization Organization.
Many tyres in the market are sold at lower prices due to disconformity and it is our policy to ensure that the country of origin of all tyres algins with the safety standards of the Gulf region. By doing so, we ensure consumers avoid purchasing tyres that do not meet safety specifications and put lives at risk.
The UAE has started to make use of newer methodologies in custom operations, which looks towards classifying imported tyres under electronic prevention, registration and risk management system--eventually subjecting them for inspection and scanning before it enters into the local market. The scanning is performed by customs officials with approval coming from the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology.
Tips
What`s your message to vehicle owners when taking care of their tyres during the summer?
One of the most crucial tips that we always convey to vehicle owners is to conduct a regular tyre pressure check. The recommended tyre pressure is most commonly listed on a sticker inside the driver's door, while it is also essential to have the general condition of tyres and corners of the cars periodically inspected by specialists.
In addition, we advise consumers to verify their tyres are free of cracks, unusual bulges or any foreign objects such as stones and screws that may lead to punctures while driving; not to inflate tyres except when they are cold in the morning; check tyre valve as they are subject to melting during the summer; and check for abnormal wear which may occur when one section of the tyre is damaged.
Consumers and vehicle owners should also rotate tyres every 10,000 km, make sure they are balanced, and check tyre rubber thickness and tread depth. Tyre tread depth coming to the set legal limit of 1.66 mm must be replaced. Consumers can do so by using a special device to measure tyre depth or can be also done by inserting a coin into the grooves of a tyre.
Furthermore, it is necessary to check the alignment of all tyres and the key to proper alignment is adjusting the angles of the tyres which affects how they contact the road. Any deviation in a tyre will cause it to wear quickly, irregularly and ultimately prevent the vehicle from moving or braking in a straight line; and computerised wheel alignment should be conducted and managed by a professional workshop to ensure proper application.
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