• Industry experts have highlighted the shift towards inclusivity in the automotive industry as a result of electric vehicles, AI, and more focus from a leadership perspective on diversity, inclusion and equity
  • Automechanika Dubai will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre until 12 December  

Dubai, UAE: Automechanika Dubai, the largest event for the automotive aftermarket industry in the wider Middle East region, has underscored the importance of diversity and inclusion in the automotive industry during the event's opening day.

Mobility expert Dr Maya Men Dror was joined by a panel of female leaders from the automotive industry including Shubra Srivastava, CEO & Founder of GaragePlug Inc., Sara Rachid, Head of Automotive and Technology verticals – UAE, Oman and Qatar, Maersk, Bhavika Sachdeva, Director, Trinity Lubes and Grease FZC, and Gaitri Jeswani, COO, Eurodiesel Services LLC, as part of the session Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in the Automotive Sector.

Speaking at the conference, part of the Automechanika Academy, a knowledge-sharing platform for the automotive aftermarket industry, Sara Rachid revealed that the region's automotive industry is moving forward, but more must be done. She said: “I've seen many changes in the industry, where women take over leadership roles and make a positive change.

“Companies are adapting and making very good changes to ensure women are empowered. If you look at Maersk today, women in executive leadership roles are 35%, and we aim to reach 40%, so the change is real, and it's happening faster than what we expected, and it's now becoming part of the company's DNA.

“If we don't drive this agenda forward and take serious steps to improve the ecosystem, we will not be market relevant, and we need that to be relevant to the market in our industry to connect with our customers.”

According to a report by the Economic Times, female workers in India’s automakers, including Tata Motors, Hero MotoCorp, and MG Motor India, are increasing in numbers in functions traditionally dominated by men as a result of the adoption of advanced technologies and active measures by automobile companies to hire more women.

These sentiments were echoed by Gaitri Jeswani, who said: “With electrification coming in, we’re seeing more women getting into the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) programs, and as a result getting themselves educated on the subject and involved in the newer technologies of the automotive industry.”

Mahmut Gazi Bilikozen, Portfolio Director at Automechanika Dubai organiser Messe Frankfurt Middle East, said: “This year, we have ensured a renewed emphasis on diversity and inclusion at the Automechanika Academy, acknowledging the vital role these values play in shaping a forward-thinking and equitable industry. With insights from some of the region’s eminent thought leaders on this topic, we are helping to address pivotal trends such as the integration of women in leadership roles, adaptive technologies, and inclusive strategies that drive innovation and resilience. These conversations are helping to shape the future and build a foundation for a more representative and innovative automotive sector.”

Day two of the Academy will see a gear shift, with a focus on Regulatory Compliance and Industry Standards, Digital Transformation: Enhancing Customer Experience, Reach New Global Markets through E-Commerce and eBay, and Adapting Service Offerings for the Electric & Hybrid Vehicles Era, amongst others.

In the Innovation4Mobility main feature, topics covered include Exploring alternate energy transportation in the region, the Importance of data in interconnectivity, Reshaping transportation: Role of autonomous vehicles in future mobility, and Traffic Safety with alternate mobility.

Automechanika Dubai continues tomorrow, Thursday, 12 December, with the new PowerTread Conference, Future Fleets & Telematics Workshop, and AfriConnections taking centre stage.

About Automechanika Dubai

Automechanika Dubai is the largest international automotive aftermarket trade show in the Middle East taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre between 10-12 December 2024. Automechanika Dubai acts as the central trading link for markets that are difficult to reach connecting the wider Middle East, Africa, Asia, and key CIS countries.

For more information, please visit our website.

About Messe Frankfurt

The Messe Frankfurt Group is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With a workforce of some 2,300 people at its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and in 28 subsidiaries, it organises events around the world. Group sales in financial year 2023 were more than € 609 million. We serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of Messe Frankfurt’s key strengths is its powerful and closely knit global sales network, which covers around 180 countries in all regions of the world. Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. We are using our digital expertise to develop new business models. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services.

Sustainability is a central pillar of our corporate strategy. Here, we strike a healthy balance between ecological and economic interests, social responsibility and diversity.

For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com/sustainability

With its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent).

Further information: www.messefrankfurt.com

About Messe Frankfurt Middle East

Messe Frankfurt Middle East’s portfolio of exhibitions includes: Automechanika Dubai, Automechanika Riyadh, Beautyworld Middle East, Beautyworld Saudi Arabia, Intersec, Intersec Saudi Arabia, Gifts & Lifestyle Middle East, Logimotion, Light + Intelligent Building Middle East and Paperworld Middle East. In the 2023/24 event season, Messe Frankfurt Middle East exhibitions combined featured 6,324 exhibitors from over 60 countries and attracted 224,106 visitors from 156 countries.

For more information, please visit our website.

James Lakie
james.lakie@shamalcomms.com
Kate McGinley
kate.mcginley@uae.messefrankfurt.com
www.messefrankfurtme.com
automechanika-dubai.ae.messefrankfurt.com