16 October 2008

GM Group Vice President Opens World Largest and Most Advanced Service Centre in Kuwait

Yusuf A. Alghanim & Sons, General Motors (GM) dealers in Kuwait inaugurate world’s largest and most advanced automotive service centre

73,000 sqm facility capable of handling more than 1,000 vehicles a day

State-of-the-art facility with unprecedented facilities and amenities

Kuwait City, Kuwait:  Maureen Kempston Darkes, GM Group Vice President and President of GM Latin America, Africa and Middle East joined Kuwait Prime Minister, His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to inaugurate Yusuf A. Alghanim & Sons new state-of-the-art service centre in Kuwait. 

Kutayba Alghanim and Omar Alghanim, respectively Chairman and CEO of Alghanim Industries, dealers for Chevrolet, Cadillac, Hummer and Saab in Kuwait hosted the event celebrating more than 60 years of partnership with General Motors.

This grand occasion revealed the service centre’s vast area of 73,000 sqm and 380 work bays. With these resources, it has the ability to service over 1,000 vehicles daily.  All technicians employed in the service centre have been meticulously trained to provide the fastest and most efficient service to customers.

Yusuf A. Alghanim & Sons has been General Motors dealer in Kuwait for 63 years, and was congratulated by the prime minister who was impressed by the grandeur and sophistication of the venture that the company has undertaken and for the vision and confidence to develop such a world-leading facility.  He was also delighted that the world’s biggest and most advanced service centre had been built in the heart of Kuwait.

As part of the celebrations, Kutayba Yusuf Alghanim, Chairman of Alghanim Industries, overviewed the company’s automotive legacy and its debut as Kuwait’s biggest service center in 1960.  He said: “Today, Yusuf A. Alghanim has opened a new chapter in automotive history in one of the most spectacular events of 2008 by opening the world’s biggest and most advanced automotive service centre.”

On the occasion, Maureen Kempston Darkes said: “At General Motors, we are proud of our long and successful relationship with Yusuf A. Alghanim & Sons.  The opening of this service centre is a testament to the dedication and commitment of Yusuf A. Alghanim to excellence and to providing their customers with the highest levels of services and care.  We are delighted to be working so closely with one of the largest General Motors dealers in the Gulf.”

The outstanding service center features 26 drive-through reception booths, luxurious waiting lounges, CCTV screens, mosques, a children’s play area, coffee shop, gym, wireless internet access and satellite channels. It also offers stock exchange information, car rental facilities, and an advanced tracking system that manages the progress of customers’ car from reception to collection.

For more information:

Saada Hammad

Communications and Public Relations Manager

General Motors Middle East              

Tel (+9714) 3143333    

E-mail saada.hammad@gm.com          

About GM

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 77 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 266,000 people around the world.  With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 35 countries.  In 2007, nearly 9.37 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands:  Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall, and Wuling.  GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. 

In the Middle East since the 1920s, GM’s vehicle brands sold in the region are Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, HUMMER and Saab supported by a unique set of customer-focused services. GM parts and accessories are sold under the GM Parts and ACDelco brands.  The regional office in Dubai covers the company’s operations in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE and Yemen. In 2007, GM sold 135,894 vehicles in the Middle East.

For more media material, please visit GM’s global media website media.gm.com where you link to various country sites including the Middle East media website http://media.gm.com/me/gm/en/ . More information on GM and its products can be found on the company’s consumer websites www.gm.com and www.gmarabia.com.