(Photo courtesy of Ford)
By Ahmed Ammar
Ford will launch two new cars this year, the EcoSport and the Figo, according to Director of Ford Middle East and North Africa, Kalyana Sivagnanam. Ford will also enter the commercial vehicles’ sector and backup vehicles within the next few months.
On Monday, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb and Sivagnanam held a meeting to discuss the possibility of Ford’s entry into Egypt’s automotive manufacturing industry.
Ford is investigating the automotive manufacturing industry in Egypt, Sivagnanam said. He described his stay in Egypt in this regard as an exploratory visit which seeks possible cooperation between Egypt and the car company.
Sivagnanam added he has yet to make a decision about manufacturing in Egypt, a decision that will be a strategic one for an international company like Ford. In turn, this needs more time and more investigation of the local market.
He also revealed that such a decision depends on Egypt’s vision towards the automotive industry. Ford needs to at least know the Egyptian government’s vision regarding the automotive industry within the next five years, because Ford will take this into consideration.
He believes that the Egyptian market is one of the most promising markets in the region, with Ford targeting a growth of an estimated 12% to 15%. The company does its best to offer the best automotive technology to satisfy its clients in the region by providing the best after-sale services.
The Egyptian market offers a huge market in terms of population, with the car company expecting growth for its sales in the country during the next period. There is also growing demand from the middle class, which forms the higher percentage in Egypt, on cars.
After launching the Ecoboost engine through the Fusion and Kuga models as well as launching its new car new Focus, Ford aims to be one of the most three important automotive car companies in the region, especially the Egyptian market.
He said that it is a pleasure for Ford to collaborate with Auto Jameel in the region. Auto Jameel achieved great success after being Ford’s agent in Egypt last year; it exceeded Ford’s international expectations.
