Dubai Auto Parts City

Dubai Auto Parts City project is likely to be revived in the near future, according to sources from the motor parts industry.

The sources said that the project has been already examined by Dubai Ports and Customs after auto parts merchants have approached them back in 2002. It was suggested that the merchants form an association and Auto Parts Merchants Group (APMG) was formed after the meeting with Ports and Customs officials.

The authorities have allocated a large plot of land for the project near Dubai International City, but apparently something went wrong within the association, sources said, adding that the allotted area is now occupied by “Chinatown” - the recently opened Dragon Mart.

Now the group, which currently has 95 members out of more than 300 auto parts merchants in Dubai, wants to revive the project. For that it has to attract more members to the association and adopt a code of practices within the group. These include straight shift working hours and the control over credit practices, the sources said.

They said that, while 70 per cent of the market has been already following straight shift working hours, the rest is not yet ready for the change. Also the group strives to stop six months long credits given to foreign traders by some Dubai-based merchants and cut it down to 90 days. All these issues were addressed during an APMG meeting attended by over 250 players cutting across all sections of the auto parts merchant fraternity in Dubai on Monday and the sources said that more traders are likely to join the group shortly.

Also during the meeting the existing executive body dissolved to select a new governing body for the coming year.

Abdul Jabbar Gargash was appointed the convener of the new interim panel, which will co-ordinate the next elections. He stressed on the necessity for a change in motor parts business practices to encourage fair trading and healthy competition