
Automechanika Riyadh 2025 closes with strong focus on sustainable automotive supply chains
Panellists at the Automechanika Academy discussed the merits of solar, wind, and alternative fuels in reducing carbon footprints across the automotive aftermarket sector
Riyadh, KSA: As global automotive supply chains transition to more sustainable practices, sustainability is emerging as a competitive advantage. Leading manufacturers are investing in renewable energy, smart factory automation, and alternative fuels to decrease emissions, minimise waste, and enhance efficiency.
Experts at Automechanika Riyadh 2025 discussed sustainable supply chain strategies that are shaping the future of the aftermarket at the Automechanika Riyadh Academy conference.
According to Custom Market Insights, the sustainable supply chain finance market is projected to reach around US$ 7,7 million by 2034, highlighting the growing value placed on environmental stewardship and operational efficiency.
During a panel session titled "Sustainable Supply Chain Practices in the Automotive Industry", senior leaders from the industry discussed how technology-driven automation streamlines resource management, enhances operational efficiency, and boosts profitability. The shift to electric and hybrid vehicles is also revolutionising transport and last-mile delivery logistics in the commercial vehicle sector.
Addressing the audience of government stakeholders, aftermarket leaders, original equipment manufacturers, electric vehicle innovators, and supply chain strategists, Javed Akhtar Mohammad, General Manager, Robert Bosch Saudi Arabia, said: 'We need to be creative in finding the best solutions to electrification in the commercial vehicle sector. However, this might not come directly from purchasing new electric commercial vehicles, but from retrofitting existing vehicles, which is more feasible and economical.'
The panellists concurred that sustainable supply chain practices and partnerships are essential for achieving environmental goals and provide significant advantages through cost savings, enhanced efficiency, and opportunities for long-term business growth.
'I think partnership is key. If you do not have partnerships, you will not succeed. Partnerships are embedded within the DNA of the sustainable development goals. However, the issue is finding the right partner,' said Dr. Mohammed Al-Surf, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Tilad Sustainability Co.. 'I think platforms like Automechanika help companies find the right partners to reach the sustainability goals we need to achieve.'
The seventh edition of Saudi Arabia's leading regional trade show for the automotive aftermarket concluded today (30 April) at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre (RICEC). This edition welcomed a record 450 exhibitors.
Bilal Al Barmawi, CEO and Founder of 1st Arabia, licensee of Automechanika Riyadh directed by Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH, said: 'Automechanika Riyadh continues to drive the conversation on sustainable innovation and industrial growth. The show strengthens Saudi Arabia's role as a rising leader in the global automotive aftermarket."
Automechanika Riyadh 2025 highlighted Saudi Arabia's growing global appeal, with exhibitors from over 30 countries, including Australia, Brazil, and South Korea. Eight international pavilions and new dedicated zones for Italy and India underscored the Kingdom's rising status as a key player in the global automotive aftermarket.
Aly Hefny, Show Manager, Automechanika Riyadh, Messe Frankfurt Middle East, said: "This year's edition highlights Saudi Arabia's growing role in the global automotive industry. With exhibitors from over 30 countries, Automechanika Riyadh 2025 aims to promote international collaboration and connect global innovations with regional opportunities.'
The product areas showcased at Automechanika Riyadh include Parts & Components, Electronics & Systems, Tires & Batteries, Oils & Lubricants, Accessories & Customising, Diagnostics & Repairs, Body & Paint, and Car Wash & Care.
About Automechanika Riyadh
Automechanika Riyadh, licensed by Messe Frankfurt GmbH, will take place from 28 April – 30 April 2025 at Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre. This will be the 7th edition of Automechanika in Saudi Arabia, which is the leading exhibition dedicated to the automotive aftermarket industry in the Kingdom. The dedicated exhibition is one of 14 instalments of Automechanika – the most successful and largest automotive aftermarket exhibition brand in the world.
About 1st Arabia
1st Arabia Tradeshows & Conferences is a leading exhibition & conference organiser in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Headquartered in Riyadh, 1st Arabia has regional offices in Jordan and is set to expand its operations in more countries regionally. 1st Arabia organises top international trade exhibitions and conferences that provide unparalleled networking and business opportunities for companies looking to excel and grow within the Kingdom. Apart from conducting quality and high profile B2B trade fairs, country specific shows, corporate events, conferences, events management and festivals, 1st Arabia also provides a complete marketing tool and exhibition solutions to their valued clients. 1st Arabia is the only MICE organisation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who is a member of the International Organizations like IAEE, ICCA, MPI PCMA, SISO and, UFI.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The National
an hour ago
- The National
Trump announces new trade deal with Indonesia and cuts tariff
US President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with Indonesia on Tuesday, saying it agreed to pay a 19 per cent tariff on its exports and pledged to buy American goods. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said Indonesia would supply the US with critical minerals and planned to purchase Boeing aircraft and farming products. 'This Deal is a huge win for our automakers, tech companies, workers, farmers, ranchers and manufacturers,' Mr Trump wrote. The deal comes as Indonesia was facing a 32 per cent tariff on exports to the US, starting from August 1. US officials said the agreement ensured some tariffs remained on Indonesia, which has a population of about 280 million. 'The deal is significant,' one official told journalists on a call. 'It opens new markets for us, exports, reaffirms US digital leadership and it eliminates non-tariff barriers on US exports.' The official added that Indonesia would drop its tariffs 'to zero on over 99 per cent of its trade' with the US and would also eliminate all non-tariff barriers. The deal solidifies Mr Trump's strategy of using the threat of high tariff rates to extract concessions from trade partners under his America First approach. It may serve as a blueprint for agreements with other nations. He also announced a new 19 per cent tariff rate for goods from the Philippines, the country's President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visited the White House. 'It was a beautiful visit and we concluded our trade deal, whereby the Philippines is going open market with the United States, and zero tariffs. The Philippines will pay a 19 per cent tariff,' Mr Trump said. He called Mr Marcos a 'very good and tough negotiator". In April, Mr Trump announced a blanket 10 per cent tariff on almost all trading partners, while imposing higher levies on other countries with trade deficits. Mr Trump, who took office in January, had framed his so-called reciprocal tariff policy as a way to reduce deficits the US has with its trading partners. The US official said the agreement with Indonesia was worth at least $50 billion to the country in new market access, as well as purchases by Indonesian companies, including liquefied natural gas and farm commodities. The US had a goods trade deficit of $17.9 billion with the country last year, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative. That was a 5.4 per cent increase from 2023. While US exports to Indonesia increased by 3.7 per cent to $10.2 billion last year, imports rose by 4.8 per cent. Mr Trump's efforts to reformat US trade has also come with great uncertainty and course reversals. The President said he would quickly reach trade deals with nations, but only Indonesia, the UK and Vietnam have announced agreements. Mr Trump has secured a 'trade truce' with China, which has a separate deadline. Earlier this month, trade letters went out to more than a dozen countries, with threats of tariff rates ranging from 20 to 50 per cent.


The National
an hour ago
- The National
About $2 million in crypto funds intended for Hamas seized by US
About $2 million in cryptocurrency assets intended for Hamas has been seized by the US government, recently unsealed court forfeiture documents from the US Department of Justice have shown. According to court filings, the digital currency was held in Tether and Binance accounts connected through BuyCash, a 'Gaza-based money transfer business' allegedly involved in helping to finance Hamas. 'Terrorist organisations like Hamas and their affiliates rely on shadowy financial networks to fund their deadly operations,' US Attorney General Pam Bondi said. 'By seizing millions in cryptocurrency, the Justice Department is aggressively dismantling the financial infrastructure of terrorism and refusing to allow our digital currency platforms to become safe havens for terrorist financing.' The court filings said a man named Ahmed Alaqad, a partial owner of the BuyCash operation, is also suspected of supporting groups including ISIS and Al Qaeda. Unsealed court documents accuse him of 'materially supporting Hamas' after the group's attack on Israel in October 2023. According to the Department of Justice, the specific method of transferring funds through digital assets is likely to have resulted in Hamas receiving as much as $4 million previously. 'These types of money transfers are a classic money laundering technique, as they intend to disguise the nature, location, ownership and control of the funds being transferred,' the court filings said. Despite growing enthusiasm for crypto, there is still plenty of scepticism. Unlike fiat currencies, crypto mostly lacks an overall regulatory apparatus and is largely decentralised, making it appealing to groups with nefarious intentions. In May, a man in the US was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison after he was found guilty of converting $185,000 to cryptocurrency and transferring it to ISIS. In March, an investigation originating from the FBI's field office in New Mexico led to the seizure of $201,400 in cryptocurrency assets that was intended to finance Hamas.


The National
4 hours ago
- The National
Trump announces new tariff deal with Indonesia
US President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with Indonesia on Tuesday, saying Jakarta had agreed to pay a 19 per cent tariff rate on its exports and pledged to make US purchases. In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said Indonesia had agreed to supply the US with critical minerals, and planned to purchase Boeing aircraft and farming products. 'This Deal is a HUGE WIN for our Automakers, Tech Companies, Workers, Farmers, Ranchers, and Manufacturers,' Mr Trump wrote. The deal comes as Indonesia was facing a 32 per cent tariff on its exports to the US starting August 1. US officials said the agreement ensures that some tariffs remain on Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation with a population of about 280 million people. 'The deal is significant,' one official told journalists on a call. 'It opens new markets for us, exports, reaffirms US digital leadership, and it eliminates non-tariff barriers on US exports.' The official added that Indonesia would drop its tariffs 'to zero on over 99 per cent of its trade' with the US and would also eliminate all non-tariff barriers. The deal solidifies Mr Trump's strategy of using the threat of high tariff rates to extract concessions from trade partners under his America First approach. It may serve as a blueprint for agreements with other nations. He also announced a new 19 per cent tariff rate for goods from the Philippines, after a visit by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to the White House. 'It was a beautiful visit, and we concluded our Trade Deal, whereby The Philippines is going OPEN MARKET with the United States, and ZERO Tariffs. The Philippines will pay a 19% Tariff,' Mr Trump said. He called Mr Marcos a 'very good and tough negotiator.' Mr Trump in April had announced a blanket 10 per cent tariff on almost all trading partners, while imposing even higher levies on other countries with trade deficits. Mr Trump, who took office in January, had framed his so-called reciprocal tariff policy as a means to reduce deficits the US has with its trading partners. The US official said the agreement is worth at least $50 billion to the US in new market access, as well as purchases the Indonesian companies will be making in goods, including liquefied natural gas and farm commodities. The US had a goods trade deficit of $17.9 billion with Indonesia last year, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative, a 5.4 per cent increase from 2023. While US exports to Indonesia increased 3.7 per cent to $10.2 billion last year, imports rose 4.8 per cent. Mr Trump's efforts to reformat US trade has also come with great uncertainty and course reversals. The US President has said he would swiftly reach trade deals with nations, but so far only Indonesia, the UK and Vietnam have announced agreements. Mr Trump has secured a 'trade truce' with China, which has a separate deadline.