Up to the beginning of next year, Mercedes-Benz Brazil will export over 150 urban buses to Saudi Arabia. The vehicles, with the O 500 M chassis, will be equipped with Grand Viale bodies produced by Marcopolo and the buyer is Saudi Arabia Public Transport Company (Saptco).
The buses will be used in Riyadh, the country capital, and in other Saudi cities. Last year, the company had already signed a contract for the sale of 150 units, as part of a greater order for 450 buses made by Saptco to Al-Juffali & Bros, which represents the brand in the Arab country. The responsibility for delivery of another 300 vehicles was in charge of DaimlerChrysler in Turkey.
Since 2002, according to information supplied by the company, over 900 vehicles of the same model have been exported to Saudi Arabia. Apart from Saptco, Mercedes has already done business with another Saudi company, Tamini & Saihati Transport Corporation (Taseco).
“We are further increasing our business with the Middle East, proving the perfect adaptation of the Mercedes-Benz chassis produced in Brazil,” stated the commercial vehicle foreign sales manager, Christian Gerber, according to a company statement.
Mercedes Brazil has already done large business on the Arab market. Up to September a total of 514 urban and highway buses with bodies produced by Comil will be shipped to Mowasalat, the largest public transport company in Qatar. The first load, with 165 units, was shipped on July 04.
Apart from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Mercedes Brazil has already exported to other countries in the region, like Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Algeria, Jordan and Tunisia.
Egypt, for example, was one of the highlights among the markets for company products last year, when it broke export records.
Anba – www.anba.com.br