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Transcript
00:00Thank you for joining us today, we are here at this exciting event being hosted by Ford
00:20Middle East, Beyond the Blue Oval.
00:23With us today is Kay Hart, President, Ford International Markets Group.
00:28Thank you for joining us Kay.
00:30So you're here to attend this event by Ford Middle East called Beyond the Blue Oval.
00:36Can you tell us a little bit about the event, it's significance to Ford, the importance
00:41to the attendees and the region?
00:43Yeah, it is an absolute privilege to be here in the Middle East for this really special
00:47event.
00:48Not only for us in the Middle East as Ford, but for our employees, for our customers,
00:53for our wonderful distributor partners, for our friends in the media, and also various
00:58stakeholders across industry bodies and government.
01:01Really to celebrate some of the successes that we've had here in the region as Ford.
01:07And not only that, we've been proudly serving Middle East now for over 40 years.
01:12And this is a chance not only to celebrate success, but also to reaffirm our commitment.
01:17And that commitment, we've had some amazing product reveals and announcements today, such
01:20as the Territory Hybrid, the Mustang Mach-E, the new F-150, the Expedition.
01:27So really just strong commitment, really great innovation, and it's an absolute privilege
01:31to be here to celebrate with the team.
01:35Speaking of success, Ford has had incredible success in the Middle East this year, especially
01:40in 2024, seen a lot of growth.
01:42So what do you think are the strategies that have contributed to this growth?
01:47And how does the Middle East fit into Ford's global growth strategy?
01:52We have had exceptional growth, and just since 2022, we've actually doubled our sales here
01:58in the region.
01:59So it's phenomenal.
02:00And I would say it's been done by a number of different things.
02:03First of all, a really diverse product portfolio that really meets the needs of our customers
02:08here, sourced globally from the best of Ford around the world.
02:13We've had some very successful product launches.
02:17We've launched new products like the Everest to the market that's just been having great
02:21pickup by our customers.
02:24We're a fast-growing brand, very fast-growing brand, especially in somewhere like Saudi
02:28Arabia, in UAE.
02:31And I would say also critical is our partnership with our distributors.
02:35They are critical to our success, and they, with us, are making great investment in our
02:40brand here.
02:41Middle East really does remain such a critically important market for Ford, so it's wonderful
02:45to see that growth here in the region.
02:47Speaking of, as you mentioned earlier, Ford's increased kind of portfolio of different kinds
02:55of vehicles, that brings me to electrified vehicles.
02:58And that's been in a lot of focus recently.
03:01So what are Ford's plans of introducing electric vehicles to the region, and what are the additional
03:09offerings on the market?
03:11So we're really optimistic about the electrification transition that's happening here in the Middle
03:16East.
03:17And we're continually investing in new electrification technologies such as hybrid, plug-in hybrids,
03:23and pure electric vehicles.
03:24In fact, today we mentioned that we're revealing the Territory Hybrid that'll be coming to
03:29the Middle East in 2025, along with our first all-electric vehicle, the Mustang Mach-E.
03:35And that joins our Taurus Hybrid and F-150 Hybrid that we've previously announced.
03:40So a lot of investment going into electrification technologies, and we're optimistic.
03:45Continuing with that, what do you think is the future of mobility in the region, electric
03:50mobility especially?
03:51Yeah, well, interestingly, we recently just conducted a study here in the region, and
03:56we found that 55% of UAE residents and 40% of Saudi residents are expressing interest
04:02in electrification.
04:04So we're excited about what that means for us, and especially with these new product
04:08reveals that we've had.
04:09How important are local partnerships and manufacturing facilities for Ford in the region?
04:17Yeah, well, I think one of our critical reasons for success here is our partnership with our
04:23wonderful distributors right across the region.
04:26And we continue with them to invest in the region, be it in people, in talent, in facilities,
04:31in great products, and new services.
04:34So as a team, we're collectively investing strongly in the region.
04:39We're also very proud that we're investing in an all-new parts distribution warehouse
04:42here in the UAE, which is on track to open in January of next year.
04:46So another great commitment and great reaffirmation of our commitment to the Middle East and the
04:51region.
04:52How is Ford leveraging technology and digital solutions for customer experience, and how
04:59does that tie in with FordBus?
05:01For the first time, we're announcing that we're launching here in the region our Ford
05:06Connected Services.
05:07So bringing the best of Ford again from around the world here to the Middle East.
05:11And that involves the FordPass app that we'll be launching here in the UAE in early 2025,
05:16closely followed by Saudi Arabia.
05:19And that really puts the ownership experience in the palm of your hand.
05:23So features such as Start, Stop, Lock, Unlock, Remote Start.
05:27So allows you to, for example, call the vehicle before you get into it from the comfort of
05:31your own home.
05:32So great features that we think will really help our customers connect more and more with
05:36the brand and their vehicle.
05:38What are the key opportunities and challenges that Ford is anticipating in the Middle East?
05:44And how does it plan to leverage these opportunities and handle the challenges going forward?
05:50Yeah, so we are very optimistic about the future here in the Middle East.
05:54We think there's exceptional growth opportunities still here.
05:58We have a very strong brand that our customers are really resonating and connecting with.
06:03So we look forward to continuing to invest in the region, continuing to grow, continuing
06:08to offer our customers experiences that they will want to come back and enjoy.
06:13So we're very optimistic with our confidence.
06:16We're optimistic for further investment and continued growth.
06:20Thank you very much for joining us today, Kay, at this lovely event being hosted by
06:24Ford Middle East called Beyond the Blue Oval and giving us insights into the growth, the
06:29strategy and the future of Ford in the Middle East.
06:32Thank you so much for being here.