October 29, 2015

  • First of six new regional centers around the world

  • 19 commercial vehicles markets to be managed in the important growth region of the Middle East and North Africa

  • Regional Center is responsible for sales and after-sales of Mercedes-Benz trucks, Mercedes-Benz vans, FUSO vehicles and Mercedes-Benz and Setra buses

  • Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Trucks & Buses: "Our new Regional Center will allow us to respond even faster and better to the needs of our customers. It focuses entirely on the commercial vehicle business. We are convinced that this new setup is an important step to benefit further from the growth potential of this region in the sales and after-sales business."

Dubai - Daimler has opened its first regional center for commercial vehicles for the Middle East and North Africa, situated in Dubai, UAE. Daimler Commercial Vehicles Middle East & North Africa (DCV MENA) will support 19 countries - from Morocco to Pakistan - from its regional office in Dubai. The new entity will be responsible for the group's full commercial vehicles portfolio in the region - from the Mercedes-Benz Citan city van to the heavy-duty Mercedes-Benz Actros truck. The upcoming reuptake of commercial vehicle activities in Iran will also be managed from Dubai.

"Our new Regional Center will allow us to respond even faster and better to the needs of our customers. It focuses entirely on the commercial vehicle business. We are convinced that this new setup is an important step to benefit further from the growth potential of this region in the sales and after-sales business," said Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Daimler Trucks & Buses, at the opening of DCV MENA in Dubai.

Clear focus on the needs of commercial vehicles customers

The establishment of DCV MENA enables an even stronger focus on the specific characteristics of the commercial vehicles business and even closer sector-specific engagement with customers and markets within the region. DCV MENA is the first of six regional centers being opened for Daimler's commercial vehicles business around the world. Similar bases will also follow for Central Africa, Southern Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Latin America within the next few months. Until now, Daimler had managed these regions primarily from its group headquarters in Stuttgart.

Further decentralization will keep the business even more in tune with the market. The many years of product and service-related expertise pay off in this respect just as much as the broad portfolio of products offered by the group's various commercial vehicles brands. The DCV MENA Regional Center offers Mercedes-Benz trucks, and FUSO vehicles, Mercedes-Benz vans as well as Mercedes-Benz and Setra buses.

Region with long term growth potential

Middle East and North Africa is a promising growth region for Daimler's commercial vehicles. This year experts predict somewhat weaker economic dynamics and general economic growth of only 2.5 percent. But from 2016 to 2019 the expansion rate in the region should rise to more than 4 percent on an annual average.

Roland Schneider, President & CEO of Daimler Commercial Vehicles MENA underlined: "The new Regional Center is a clear sign of our commitment to the region. The markets of the Middle East and North Africa are very important to us, and offer substantial potential for growth. Today's opening in Dubai therefore represents the next logical step."

The three biggest sales markets in the region for Daimler's trucks, vans and buses are the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. These three countries account for approximately two thirds of all deliveries in the MENA region. Between 2011 and 2014, unit sales of trucks, buses and vans in the region grew by an average of 23 percent p.a. In 2014 the group sold 45.900 commercial vehicles in the region.

DCV MENA steers the commercial vehicle business in 19 markets

The Regional Center will be responsible for managing sales activities in the following markets: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen.

The new Regional Center is located in the Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai, which is operated by the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (JAFZA).

Commenting on the new Regional Centre, HE Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman, DP World and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation said: "We are pleased with Daimler AG's decision to establish its new Regional Center for commercial vehicles in Dubai. As a world-class facilitator and logistics hub, we are committed to provide our customers all the support needed to make their operations seamless. Our conviction and approach is in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to position Dubai as the most favoured investment destination in the world."

On Daimler's history in Dubai: In November 1998, the group established its cross-divisional sales entity DaimlerChrysler Middle East in Dubai. This became Daimler Middle East & Levant in March 2008 following the separation from Chrysler. At the end of 2014, the decision was made as part of the group-wide "Customer Dedication" strategy to align the sales structures of the commercial vehicles and passenger car business even more closely with the relevant target groups. As part of this, DCV MENA will focus on commercial vehicles activities in the region in the future. There are currently 62 employees from 19 different countries working at DCV MENA. The sales, after-sales and replacement parts activities for each market are organized via a network of exclusive general distributors.

-Ends-

Contacts:
Florian Martens, + 49 711 17-41525
Susanne Lenz, + 49 711 17-41526, susanne.k.lenz@daimler.com

Further information from Daimler is available at:
www.media.daimler.com and www.daimler.com

Forward-looking statements:
This document contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current views about future events. The words "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "can," "could," "plan," "project," "should" and similar expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to many risks and uncertainties, including an adverse development of global economic conditions, in particular a decline of demand in our most important markets; a worsening of the sovereign-debt crisis and increasing uncertainty in the euro zone; an increase in political tension in Eastern Europe; a deterioration of our refinancing possibilities on the credit and financial markets; events of force majeure including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, political unrest, industrial accidents and their effects on our sales, purchasing, production or financial services activities; changes in currency exchange rates; a shift in consumer preferences towards smaller, lower-margin vehicles; a possible lack of acceptance of our products or services which limits our ability to achieve prices and adequately utilize our production capacities; price increases for fuel or raw materials; disruption of production due to shortages of materials, labor strikes or supplier insolvencies; a decline in resale prices of used vehicles; the effective implementation of cost-reduction and efficiency-optimization measures; the business outlook for companies in which we hold a significant equity interest; the successful implementation of strategic cooperations and joint ventures; changes in laws, regulations and government policies, particularly those relating to vehicle emissions, fuel economy and safety; the resolution of pending government investigations and the conclusion of pending or threatened future legal proceedings; and other risks and uncertainties, some of which we describe under the heading "Risk and Opportunity Report" in the current Annual Report. If any of these risks and uncertainties materializes or if the assumptions underlying any of our forward-looking statements prove to be incorrect, the actual results may be materially different from those we express or imply by such statements. We do not intend or assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements since they are based solely on the circumstances at the date of publication.

Daimler at a Glance

Daimler AG is one of the world's most successful automotive companies. With its divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the Daimler Group
is one of the biggest producers of premium cars and the world's biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles with a global reach. Daimler Financial Services provides financing, leasing, fleet management, insurance, financial investments, credit cards, and innovative mobility services.

The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the year 1886. As a pioneer of automotive engineering, Daimler continues to shape the future of mobility today:
The Group's focus is on innovative and green technologies as well as on safe and superior automobiles that appeal  and fascinate. Daimler consequently invests in the development of alternative drive trains with the long-term goal of emission-free driving: from hybrid vehicles to electric vehicles powered by battery or fuel cell. Furthermore, the company follows a consistent path towards accident-free driving and intelligent connectivity all the way to autonomous driving. This is just one example of how Daimler willingly accepts the challenge of meeting its responsibility towards society and the environment.

Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities in Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Africa. Its current brand portfolio includes, in addition to the world's most valuable premium automotive brand, Mercedes-Benz, as well as Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes-Maybach, the brands smart, Freightliner, Western Star, BharatBenz, FUSO, Setra and Thomas Built Buses, and Daimler Financial Services' brands: Mercedes-Benz Bank, Mercedes-Benz Financial, Daimler Truck Financial, moovel and car2go. The company is listed on the stock exchanges of Frankfurt and Stuttgart (stock exchange symbol DAI). In 2014, the Group sold more than 2.5 million vehicles and employed a workforce of 279,972 people; revenue totalled €129.9 billion and EBIT amounted to €10.8 billion.

© Press Release 2015