Haji Husein Alireza (HHA) is Saudi Arabia’s second oldest company, having been established in 1906, with the oldest being another Alireza family business, Haji Abdullah Alireza. In 1926, 20 years after it was established, HHA became the first importer and distributor of automobiles in the Arabian Peninsula.
Ali Alireza, the company’s managing director and great grandson of the founder, lists some famous names that have been represented by his company, such as Nash, Studebaker and Hupp Mobile – all famous brands relegated to history. Some names HHA worked with are still going strong, such as Fiat and Ford, although the Mercury brand from Ford has now joined those venerable old names of automotive history. Currently, HHA represents the Mercury brand of Ford, Aston Martin,
Mazda and MAN trucks.
While the company retains some business interests in other fields, including IT and real estate, HHA has focused its efforts and investments on the automotive sector since the mid-70s. As a result, Mr Alireza proudly points to a map of Saudi Arabia where every corner of the country is served by HHA. He says, “We have concentrated on our geographic growth in order to be a truly national company, which few auto dealers can claim to be. Saudi Arabia is the size of Western Europe and it has always been important for us to reach our customers and deliver our service wherever they may reside in the kingdom. This is also of major importance to large fleet operators, especially of trucks, where they have the peace of mind that no matter where their vehicles operate, they will always be close to a Haji Husein Alireza support centre.”
The success of this vision is clearly noticeable on the streets of Saudi Arabia where Mazda is not only a major presence on the kingdom’s highways, but also enjoys a high level of owner loyalty and customer satisfaction.
The company clearly places great importance on the quality of its dealerships. Jeddah is home to many beautifully designed showrooms, but few in the world can match the HHA main showroom on Madinah Road’s automobile row, where most car dealerships reside.
Mr Alireza emphasises the company’s continuous programme of investment in the business that has kept both its manufacturer partners and customers happy. The company is regularly cited by its suppliers for having a high customer satisfaction ranking.
While the company has traditionally concentrated on trading, it has recently ventured into the manufacturing field by partnering with Germany’s MAN Truck and Bus Company to establish a Jeddah-based assembly plant for MAN, the first of its kind in the Middle East. This further solidified MAN’s market share as the second leading truck company in Saudi Arabia in 2010.
As for HHA’s future plans, Mr Alireza reemphasises the company’s strategy of continuous investment in facilities and market coverage. He says, “The Saudi Arabian economy is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and the potential returns for local investors are tremendous. We look forward to many years of stable economic growth in our economy and intend to be a major participant in this period of Saudi Arabia’s great economic transformation.”
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