AGMC breaks ground at new multi-million Dubai Motor City site.

Dubai, UAE: AGMC, the official importer of BMW Group products for Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates, has broken ground at the site of what will be a new, ultra-modern, multi-million-dirham BMW and MINI facility in Dubai Motor City.

The new 100,000 square foot showroom and aftersales facility will be the first fully-fledged automotive dealership to open in the increasingly popular Dubai Motor City area.

Stathis I. Stathis, Managing Director of Albatha Automotive Group, the parent company of AGMC, said: “Throughout our 42-year partnership with BMW Group, AGMC has continuously striven to meet and exceed the automotive needs of drivers in Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates. This latest investment will allow us to cater to the increasing demand of both the BMW and MINI brands and bring the highest levels of service to our loyal customers. Providing a convenient and enjoyable shopping and servicing experience to our customers, the new Dubai Motor City facility is powerful evidence of our commitment to our customers, business partners and the local communities in which we operate.”

A key highlight is the building’s iconic and contemporary design, which reflects the BMW Corporate Identity and allows customer interaction in a setting where each family member will feel at home and engaged. It has been designed to provide customers with the opportunity to experience and be immersed in the brand, including a dedicated sales area for luxury segment vehicles. At the same time, the aftersales area will play a vital role in making the ownership experience more convenient. Glass panels will provide full visibility into the workshop area, integrating it into the overall warm and welcoming ambiance of the showroom.

During the construction phase, only certified materials will be used, resulting in less energy consumption and reduced emissions once operational.  Particular attention will be paid to the recycling concepts for water, oil and batteries. It will also be fully compliant with the Dubai Municipality Sustainability requirements and in line with the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to promote Dubai’s sustainable development by 2020.

The new facility will embody all elements from BMW Group’s ‘Future Retail’ Strategy, a series of latest customer engagement features put in place to help BMW and MINI stand out in a competitive market. 

These will include: a Mobile Customizer, an iPad App enabling live car configuration and demonstration during consultations, and a Virtual Product Presentation. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) services will allow customers to immediately bring up lifelike, three dimensional images of any BMW or MINI model on a smartphone or tablet, via which they can walk around them, open doors, and even ‘step into’ the vehicles. Using the visualisation tool, customers can also customise cars, and see the full range of product options on the spot. In addition, new employee roles will allow AGMC to evolve the way in which it interacts with customers in the sales process. This includes Product Geniuses - experts whose sole role is to educate car shoppers about the various choices, explain the products and help the customer to understand them in more detail.

Every element of the customer journey has been considered and elevated to deliver a completely redesigned physical experience to the showroom, with a new furniture layout that will create a modern, warm, open and friendly atmosphere. In addition, an enhanced aftersales facility will include 38 work bays, 16 of which will be Fastlane. Service consultations directly at the vehicle will now happen in a premium environment and our customers will be able to relax in luxurious lounges while waiting for their car to be serviced.

“BMW Group’s long and successful relationships with the importers in the Middle East are the pillars of our success in this region. AGMC has been our partner for more than four decades and constantly invests in our brands to ensure that customers get true premium experience in sales and service,” said Johannes Seibert, Managing Director of BMW Group Middle East. “The new BMW and MINI dealership in Dubai Motor City is the next step of our customer centric expansion strategy. Catering for our customers in the south of Dubai, the new facility will take BMW and MINI brand experience to new levels and be an icon for the premium car dealership of the future.“

In addition to the new multi-million Dubai Motor Show facility, AGMC has invested more than AED 100 million over the past five years across all areas of the business to cater for the growth of the BMW Group brands and to enhance the overall customer experience. This includes the opening of new facilities in Fujairah and Deira, and the expansion of its Sheikh Zayed Road showroom in 2011 and most recently March 2016, which saw the inauguration of a new workshop for BMW and MINI at the flagship facility, with 22 work bays, an exclusive MINI workshop, in-house training center and 250 parking slots.