Ford Plans Middle East and Africa Product Onslaught

Ford plans to launch 17 new or refreshed vehicles in the Middle East and Africa over the next two years to accelerate growth in the region.

“The Middle East and Africa is poised to become one of the next big automotive growth markets and we want to be there for those customers with great new cars and trucks,” Stephen Odell, president-Ford of Europe, Middle East and Africa, says in a statement.

The Ford EcoSport small CUV and Fusion midsize sedan, two of the products to be offered in the region, were displayed at the recent Dubai International Auto Show.

Ford has yet to announce what other products will be added to its portfolio in the region, which currently has a number of nameplates, including the Fiesta B-car, Focus C-car and Ranger pickup.

To take advantage of the potential growth opportunity in the Middle East and Africa market, Ford is combining the North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa and Middle East regions into a single business unit.

The new unit will be headquartered in Dubai and overseen by Jim Benintende, a 36-year Ford veteran who most recently served as director-Ford Export Operations and Global Initiatives for the Middle East and Africa region.

Ford currently sells about 200,000 vehicles a year throughout the Middle East and Africa, capturing a little more than 5% market share.

The Middle East represents about half of the volume, while South Africa accounts for 60,000 vehicle per year, North Africa sales total about 25,000 and Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for just below 20,000 deliveries.