Al-Attiya Motors and Trading Co. (AMTC) wins Honorary Distributor award from Kia Corporation

– Al-Attiya Motors and Trading Co. (AMTC) was given the distinction during the 2023 Global Distributor Convention (GDC) of Kia in Seoul, South Korea. This was the first in-person GDC since 2019.

– The award reflected AMTC’s status as the longest-standing distributor of Kia globally and a reflection of their consistent high sales and market share and excellent customer satisfaction ratings for both sales and after-sales.

Al-Attiya Motors and Trading Co. (AMTC) came out as a big winner as they were given the Honorary Distributor award during the recently-held 2023 Global Distributor Convention (GDC) of Kia. The award was given with much distinction as AMTC was the one and only recipient of the achievement. The trophy was presented personally by Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) Executive Chair Euisun Chung to AMTC Chairman, Abdulaziz bin Mohammad Al-Attiya.

2023 Kia Global Distributor Convention

The 2023 edition of the annual Kia Global Distributor Convention was held in-person in Seoul, Korea for the first time since the 2019. With a global presence of almost 140 markets worldwide that nets the brand around 3-million-unit sales annually, the GDC has been an important occasion for the dealer network to converge and celebrate the brand’s achievement for the past year and listen to the upcoming years’ direction.

Honorary Distributor award for AMTC

In large part due to their standing as the longest-tenured Kia distributor in the world, AMTC was awarded with aforementioned Honorary Distributor award. Having been the official and exclusive dealer of Kia in Qatar since 1985, AMTC has embarked on a journey to not only achieve high sale volume but in growing the brand through exemplary customer experience as well.

The award was presented by no less than the Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group, Mr. Euisun Chung and representing AMTC was its chairman, his excellency Mr. Abdulaziz bin Mohammad Al-Attiya, who was accompanied on the occasion by Mohammad Maali, Chief Executive Officer and Hossam Abu Shadi, Kia Brand Director.

Mr. Chung has been the HMG Executive Chair since March 2020, succeeding his father, Mong-Koo Chung who now serves honorary chairman. Mr. Chung has also been instrumental to the rise of the Kia brand as he served as its President from 2005 to 2009, overseeing a period of sharp growth. It was during his leadership when Peter Schreyer was appointed as the Chief Design Officer in 2006, setting the stage for the establishment of the brand as an automotive design powerhouse, starting from its now-famous ‘Tiger-Nose Grille’ trademark design. Now with the advent of electrification in the global industry, Kia has kick started the ambitious ‘Plan S’ strategy that aims to shift Kia from a vehicle manufacturer to a leader in mobility solutions led by Kia global president, Mr. Ho-Sung Song.

AMTC Growth through the years

“Grow slowly, steadily, but surely”. With these words came the advent of Al-Attiya Motors and Trading Co. (AMTC), among the first automotive dealers in Qatar. These words have rung through and served as a guiding light for one of Qatar’s biggest industrial enterprises.

Founded by the late Brigadier Mohammed bin Abdallah Al-Attiya, AMTC’s vision was to build a corporation committed to grow responsibly through the treasured values of integrity, transparency, and superior customer service.

And it is with good fortune that these sound business principles served as the bedrock for success over the years, starting with a keystone dealership agreement with Kia Motors. This brand would serve to be part of the automotive and mobility solution providers for Qatar for the better part of four (4) decades now.

The tremendous growth seen with the Kia brand reflected not only in the global level but in Qatar as well. Over the past decade, AMTC was able to achieve at least a top five (5) rank from 2012-2017 and top three (3) in 2018-2022 in market share. With a product that grew exponentially in quality, design & reliability, AMTC was able to channel resources and focus on customer satisfaction, spare parts affordability and availability and transparent service ethics and practices.

To further enhance the ownership experience, AMTC restructure the after-sales facility in the Industrial Area into a genuine 4S (Sales, Service, Spare Parts, Storage) complex. Now a massive 30,850 square meter compound showing the latest Kia Space Identity (SI2.0), the building is known as ‘Kia City’, reflecting the company’s commitment to brand and market alike towards genuine family-like care for Kia owners and prospective buyers alike. Going beyond words, there are forty-five (45) service stations and ten (10) bays to ensure efficient and quality care for each vehicle in need of maintenance or repair. The expansive genuine parts storage area maintains a 98% fill rate to ensure availability for even models past the warranty stage.

Estimate of the overall AMTC investment in the facility is at $50 million and another significant investment in the pipeline is the renovation of the main showroom in Al Rayyan Road (Al Sadd area).

Towards the end of 2022 saw the culmination of a project more than a decade in the making for Qatar – the FIFA World Cup™, and AMTC was there to ensure that Kia’s presence would be felt by providing not only logistical support but marketing as well through its platforms, on-ground advertising and experiential marketing efforts. More than three hundred (300) vehicles for FIFA and Kia were prepared extensively, from inspection to branding. Nearly a hundred of these vehicles were of eco-friendly models for which some were seen in the local and regional markets for the first time – the EV6, Niro PHEV and Sorento PHEV models. AMTC also provided support through its various branding efforts such as the massive wrap on the Kia Building in Al Rayyan Road, vehicle displays in Mall of Qatar and Doha Festival City and participation in key programs such as the Official Match Ball Carrier (OMBC). Among the highlights of the whole tournament was hosting the Kia leadership team led by its President, Mr. Ho-Sung Song during the inauguration of the revamped Kia City facility in December 2022. It was truly a period that AMTC would look back with pride as they were led by their Chairman, Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Attiya in receiving esteemed guests and providing support as needed.

AMTC Commitment

With the impending arrival of the Kia EV lineup to the local market, AMTC remains steadfast in its commitment to its core policies of customer satisfaction and sound business practices. Booking is ongoing for the arrival of the EV9, the first fully-electric 3-row SUV in the region and the EV6, the performance crossover that has been adjudged as the World Performance Car of the Year for 2023.

Interested parties can visit the Al Sadd showroom or the Kia City facility in the Industrial area main road to experience the Kia brand.