Zahid Tractor, Volvo Trucks celebrate 30-year partnership

The partnership between Saudi-based Zahid Tractor and Swedish transport solutions company Volvo Trucks Corporation started in late 1980 with the shared vision of providing superior quality vehicles and after-sales services to a growing Saudi market. 30 years later, through sustainable joint efforts and the development of local Saudi workforce, the fruits of that grand vision have become tangible realities.   

Today, Volvo trucks are assembled in a state-of-the-art assembly plant located in the industrial district of Kilo 14, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.  The plant boasts an impressive 75% Saudization rate across all levels of the business including assembly line workers, mechanics and senior management. The plant is producing the same quality Swedish truck that is proudly assembled by competent Saudi hands. 

Amr Khashoggi, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Zahid Group, commented “Arabian Vehicles & Trucks Industry (AVI), a joint venture between our flagship subsidiary, Zahid Tractor and Volvo Trucks Corporation, was formed in 1998 to meet the dynamic growth in regional sales of Volvo trucks in the kingdom. I’m proud to say that it has succeeded in developing a strong international partnership to create a world class Saudi truck assembly business.” He added, “The Zahid/Volvo experience is unique to other industry examples in its ability to create a full-fledged onshore truck assembly facility fueled by local Saudi talent.” 

The international partnership’s vision of developing a qualified local workforce was made a reality through the establishment of the Zahid Learning Center which offers a bespoke career path planned for every employee in the group of companies with three regional centers West, Central and East to support personal, professional and organizational growth. 

In commemoration of 30 years of partnership between Zahid Tractor and Volvo Trucks, the company is launching the state-of-the-art unique Volvo FMX in Saudi Arabia. 

The Volvo FMX is specifically designed to perform on and off road tasks required by the construction industry and others.  “We, at AVI, are poised to deliver quality trucks that are built to address our customers’ on-the-ground requirements” stated Nasser Bayram, Director of Zahid Tractor's Commercial Vehicles Division. ”The Volvo FMX boasts many new features, to name but a few, its 13-liter engine and updated I-shift gearbox as well as load sensors for optimized gear sequence, make it the construction industry’s vehicle of choice.” 

Sheikh Fahad Y. Zahid, Executive Vice President of Zahid Tractor said at the event, “It gives me great pride to reflect on the milestones achieved throughout Zahid Tractor’s 30 year long relationship with Volvo Trucks.” He added, “The success of today’s launch is a result of the positive collaboration with Volvo Trucks and the support of our loyal customer base in Saudi Arabia to whom we owe all our success. We look forward to continuously serving the kingdom’s market through partnering with our customers and providing them with superior quality solutions and global best practices designed to address their requirements." 

Mr. Lars-Erik Forsbergh, President of Volvo Trucks North Africa and Middle East, also present at the event said, “I’m very happy to be here today to witness this event.  We at Volvo Trucks value the successful partnership we have with Zahid Tractor, which has allowed us to better serve our mutual valued Saudi customers and robust and growing Saudi market.”