UAE car manufacturer, Sandstorm, has announced the launch of “Al Reem” the very first Emirati 4X4 SUV.
The car is to be launched in the local market and the rest of the Arab region by 2019.
At a press conference held at Al Forsan Sports Resort in Abu Dhabi, Sandstorm said it will introduce 1000 cars at first, followed by 6000 cars in phase II in addition to announcing the launch of its pickup, (S24) this year.
The press conference was attended by a number of Emirati sheikhs and Excellencies.
Dr. Magida AlAzazi, CEO of Sandstorm declared: “We are proud of this great achievement and of being the first factory in the UAE to manufacture various models of 4X4 vehicles.”
Dr AlAzazi said that the factory was established in 2017 after thoroughly considering its design and production capacity by contracting international manufacturers from Europe and East Asia for the past five years.
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The cars manufactured at the Sandstorm factory are according to Gulf Specifications after running several tests through a reputable German company.
The current temporary production line capacity is 1000 cars per year to be gradually increased to 6000 Al Reem and S24 cars per year by the second quarter of 2019 when the new factory opens.
Dr. AlAzazi also added that Sandstorm factory is considered the first step towards attracting international automotive manufacturers to the country, which contributes to the development of the local industries sector and places Emirates in a leading role in the region.
Dr AlAzazi added: “Since the inauguration of our factory we received a lot of offers from Egyptian, French and Indian companies to open branches for their feeding industries, which is considered an added value to the country’s economy and a main source of attraction for investment capital.
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“We intend to keep building more factories in the future in the field of automotive manufacturing.”
As for the reasons behind choosing the names of company and the cars, AlAzazi said: “We chose the name Sandstorm for our factory to imply the power and strength of the car and how it masters the performance in off road which makes a big geographic part of the countries in the region.
“The logo was designed according to the good omen of “Al Reem” the wild gazelle that is spread in the region and especially in Abu Dhabi.
“That being said, future cars made by Sandstorm will carry names of Arab Gazelles from the region like AL Reem, Al Dimany and others.”
In keeping with the main objective of her company, which is to support local industries, Dr. AlAzazi relied on local expertise in addition to foreign experts.
Accordingly, 30% of administrative and technical jobs are fulfilled by local talent to gain further professional experience in this field.
Sandstorm seeks to build highly skilled manpower to support the country’s industry and economy in line with Abu Dhabi’s 2030 vision.
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