Leading automotive tuning company BRABUS Middle East comes on-board GCC Car Modifications Conference

DUBAI, UAE - Nov. 20, 2014 - PRLog -- BRABUS Middle East, a high-performance automotive tuning company, has come on-board the inaugural GCC Car Modifications Conference, as it looks to showcase international car customisation best practice on a regional level.

The Platinum Sponsor of the two-day summit, taking place next week from 24 – 25 November at the Meydan Hotel Dubai, will pack a punch with an exclusive display of four fully-tuned cars, including an AED1.5 million BRABUS G-Wagen 700, currently used by the Dubai Police.

Organised by Epoc Messe Frankfurt, the GCC Car Modifications Summit will present a unique platform for regulators, standardisation authorities, and key industry players to discuss the way forward for the car modifications market in the GCC.

"As more and more automobile lovers in the Middle East go in for customisation, modifications and performance enhancing tune-ups on their cars, it is important that we stress the need for a more stringent system of regulation in order to boost safety standards," said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Epoc Messe Frankfurt. "The GCC Car Modifications Summit presents a vital interactive platform where regulating authorities and industry representatives can examine key issues and come up with workable solutions."

BRABUS, which specialises in tuning Mercedes-Benz and Maybach vehicles, will also display the S-Class 850 6.0 litre, based on the Mercedes-Benz S-63 AMG V8 bio-Turbo, and valued at AED 2 million.

The high-end German-based tuner, which has modified thousands of vehicles in the Gulf region since the 1980’s valued at between AED1.5 – 3 million each, will also dazzle with an AED 2.2 million BRABUS G- Wagen 800, based on the G65 AMG; and an AED 1.2 million BRABUS S-Class 540, based on the Mercedes-Benz S-500.

Radwan Ogali, General Manager at BRABUS Middle East, said its exclusive line-up of cars are tuned to the highest international standards in safety specifications, a key reason why the company is taking part in the 1^st GCC Car Modifications Conference.

“We are participating at the GCC Car Modifications Conference because it’s important that safety and security is not lost in connection with the issue of car tuning,” said Ogali.

“In the development stages of a product, BRABUS Middle East takes factors such as emissions standards and safety regulations into consideration. Since these developments are quite extensive, our products cannot be compared with others, where the manufacturer does not need to follow this type of criteria.”

According to industry sources, the Gulf car customisation market grew by 15 per cent in 2013, as the region’s love of cars and taste for exclusive individuality creates a rapidly expanding auto aftermarket sector.

This is a view shared by Ogali, who added: “The GCC car modifications market is continuing to grow and this is reflected in the growth of our company as we increase our presence to satisfy demand.  In the beginning of 2011 we opened a subsidiary in Dubai, and this has been complemented by our own showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road last year.”

Officially supported by Dubai Police, the RTA, the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA), and the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO), the GCC Car Modifications Conference will feature a high-powered panel of international industry experts and representatives from standardisation authorities across the region.

The event will examine the regulations in place from the relevant governing bodies, safety considerations to be kept in mind, while addressing other important issues such as certification, code of practice, testing, insurance and warranty.

The conference will be inaugurated with a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) between the ATCUAE and ESMA outlining cooperation between the two for technical cooperation in car modifications.

Speakers at the two-day summit include Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of the Licensing Authority at the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA); Dr. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, ATCUAE President and FIA Vice President; Prof. Bodo Buschmannn, President and CEO of BRABUS Group, Farah Al Zarooni, Director of Standards Department at ESMA; Waleed Al-Sagr, Head of the Conformity Certificate Section at the Gulf Standardisation Organisation (GSO); and Ademola Illori, Safety Advisor at the Qatar Ministry of Interior.

Endorsed by the VDAT, the GCC Car Modifications Conference will set the stage for thought provoking debates, informative presentations and several hours of vital networking and knowledge-sharing.

A wide variety of industry professionals and government representatives from across the industry are expected to attend including law enforcement personnel, standardisation authorities, representatives from international and regional associations and road authorities from across the region.

More information about the GCC Car Modifications Conference is available at: www.gulfcarmods.com.