New strategic partner targeting customer satisfaction leadership in key market

Petromin to operate new Nissan car dealerships and workshops across the Kingdom

Dubai, UAE: March 07, 2016

Nissan has announced a new business partner - Petromin Corporation (Petromin) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Petromin will join Alissa as the second strategic partner to Nissan as it continues its growth and expansion across the Kingdom. 

 "We announced in November 2013that Nissan was going to renew its strong bond with the Kingdom, with a direct presence in the form of Nissan KSA," said Samir Cherfan, Nissan Middle East's Managing Director. "We committed to strengthening the brand's product line-up and to bring the best of this great company to Saudi Arabia by developing Nissan's sales and service coverage and quality."

"Nissan and Alissa have managed to renew the bond with the kingdom and to reestablish a strong sales and service network. We are achieving fast growth while achieving high standards in customer service. Sustainable growth and customer satisfaction excellence is the path for Nissan and its business partners", he added.

Commenting on the new business partnership, Christian Mardrus, Nissan Senior Vice President and Chairman for Africa, Middle East and India said: "The Kingdom has always been a key market for Nissan. Going forward, we remain committed to deliver our business objectives and are proud to enter a second chapter of Nissan expansion in the kingdom by announcing a new, second business partnership in Saudi Arabia, with Petromin."

Samir Nawar, CEO of Petromin said: "We could not be more excited about working alongside Nissan to help achieve its stated goals. The addition of car showrooms and workshops to our vast network of service facilities, which comprehensively covers the entire country, is perfectly placed to provide Nissan owners with the kind of customer service they rightly expect and demand. We have been in this industry for nearly five decades and Nissan's competitive edge will surely be sharpened with our involvement and drive."

Operating in Saudi Arabia for more than 40 years, Petromin has grown to become one of the region's leading automotive companies with a full range of automotive services including car dealerships, car servicing, fuel retailing and lubricants.   

"Petromin's wealth of expertise in the customer service sector will perfectly complement Alissa's eight decades of experience in Saudi Arabia's automotive market," Cherfan continues. "We at Nissan are confident that a three-pronged approach, especially with the synergies that exist between us, will set the best possible course for Nissan to achieve those goals we set out in 2013. We will deliver the best of this great company to the Kingdom and we will achieve the number one position when it comes to excellence in customer service."

Visit our web site at: www.nissan-petromin.com

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About Nissan KSA
Nissan has a strong heritage in KSA, dating back to the early 50's. Nissan is committed to becoming a powerful force in the automotive sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through: a host of new models, a completely re-structured sales network and a firm focus on providing customers with the best-possible service.

In September 2013, Nissan announced the appointment of Alissa as its official authorized dealer in the Kingdom. Nissan and Alissa share a very similar vision. Alissa vision is to provide high quality automotive products and dependable after-sales services to customers whose needs and wants are the focus of Alissa's every action. Part of Alissa holding company, Alissa auto has over 60 years in serving Saudi Arabia automotive customers with a success built on its business ethics and customer focus.

In November 2014, Nissan expanded its Saudi Arabian operations by announcing 'Nissan Saudi Arabia', which is a joint venture formed with the auto maker's partner Khaled Juffali Company. This partnership is expected to play an important role in bolstering Nissan's presence in the biggest market in Middle East. Nissan has established a new, fully-fledged office in Jeddah staffed with over 100 people for the joint operation.

About Alissa Auto
Alissa Auto was established by the late Sheikh Abdullatif Alissa and his entrepreneurial spirit to import and sell automobiles to Aramco in the 1950's. He had a vision that one day Riyadh would be the center of trade within the region and so relocated to the capital. Alissa Auto has since established itself as being one of the pioneers of Automotive sales and after sales operations and today, proud to be a Nissan dealer for the Kingdom.

ABOUT PETROMIN
Petromin Corporation (Petromin) is a leading lubricants and automotive services company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia operating four lines of business: car servicing (Petromin Express), fuel retailing, oil lubricants and car dealerships. With more than 3,500 employees, Petromin exports its products to over 35 countries in the GCC, Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Previously jointly-owned by US's ExxonMobil and Saudi Aramco, Petromin was acquired by Advanced Petroleum Services in 2007. Major investment and restructuring has driven the company's growth and diversification to provide a full range of automotive services.

Petromin offers fast and reliable vehicle maintenance services which have benefited a large proportion of drivers in Saudi Arabia. It is backed by an extensive network of service centres that provide unparalleled coverage across the Kingdom. The company plans to expand its network to include up to 1,000 service centres by 2020, of which 500 centres have been opened so far and which service over 10,000 customers per day. The company has grown rapidly opening an average of three service centres per week. The company was recently ranked number eight globally for the largest express vehicle service networks on a global scale. Petromin is currently planning to launch a network of car showrooms and vehicle maintenance facilities across the Kingdom. Additionally by end of 2020 Petromin will have 200 branded fuel stations in its network.

About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 247,500 employees globally, Nissan sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal year 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle. It is the best-selling EV in history with almost 50% share of the zero-emission vehicle segment.

Please visit the Nissan Media Channel on www.nissan-me.com or 'Like' us at www.facebook.com/NissanME

For Nissan Middle East FZE media enquiries:
Yolande Pineda
Director, Corporate Communications Department
Nissan Middle East FZE
Tel: +971 4 881 7500
Fax: +971 4 881 9747
E-mail: yolande@nissan-me.ae

Mohammed Al Tawil
Media Relations Manager
Nissan Middle East FZE
Tel: +971 4 881 7500
Fax: +971 4 881 9747 E-mail: Mohammed.Tawil@nissan-me.ae

Bilal Bhaila
Senior Account Executive
Memac Ogilvy Public Relations
Tel: +971 4 305 0307
Mob: +971 55 431 2777 E-mail: bilal.bhaila@ogilvy.com

© Press Release 2016