United Yousef M Naghi Co, the official partner of Pirelli tyres in Saudi Arabia, recently launched its first Pirelli Performance Centre in Jeddah.

The centre is designed to meet customer demands for integrated tyre maintenance and oil services and offers a female-only lounge following the historic lifting of the ban on women driving in the kingdom, said a statement from the company.

The centre is the first of its kind across the GCC with a new Pirelli Performance Centre retail concept, recently launched by Pirelli worldwide, it said.

United Yousef M Naghi Co is planning to increase the Pirelli footprint in Saudi Arabia with the opening of the second Pirelli Performance Centres in Jeddah in the coming weeks and has three centres under construction, two in Riyadh and one in Dammam, which are expected to open in the third quarter of 2018, it added.

Carlos Milani, managing director of Middle East and Indian subcontinent, Pirelli, said: “This is an exciting time as Saudi Arabia has taken concrete steps towards gender equality, presenting an array of opportunities for the automotive industry.”

“As a key player in the market, Pirelli is committed to supporting female drivers with the necessary infrastructure and service support they need as they embark on this new journey,” he said.

“Our new female-only lounge in Jeddah is designed to help women feel safe, confident and comfortable behind the wheel, bringing them world-class service,” he added.

“With the lifting of the ban on women driving giving the premium tyre industry a boost, we feel that Pirelli has an obligation to help female drivers across the kingdom feel comfortable and safe when driving,” Milani concluded. – TradeArabia News Service