Al Nabooda Automobiles, the sole distributor of Audi in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, has begun work on the new Dh133 million ($36.2 million) Audi workshop, part of its Dh900 million investment programme to expand operations.

A groundbreaking ceremony attended by K Rajaram, CEO, Al Nabooda Automobiles, Trevor Hill, managing director, Audi Middle East, Ali Al Nabooda, general manager, Audi, Al Nabooda Automobiles and Amid Jondi, managing director, Arcan Project Management marked the start of construction of the new workshop.

The facility is in close proximity to the Mall of the Emirates and is due for completion by the beginning of 2015.

The three-level workshop, which sits on an 11,000 sq m plot and has a total built up area of 29,000 sq m, will provide 75 Audi work stations with an additional 16 dialogue bays.  A total of 191 vehicles per day can be serviced, giving customers access to faster and more efficient car maintenance options.

“Opening the world’s largest Audi new car showroom in Dubai was a significant milestone for Al Nabooda Automobiles, and now we focus on enhancing the service offering we provide our customers,” said Rajaram.

“This new workshop will give our growing Audi customer base the very latest automotive maintenance technology, which is easily accessible and offers the capability to complete service options with expertise, quickly.”

Work has begun on this latest project off the back of strong 2013 sales figures in Dubai and the Northern Emirates for Audi, which reported an increase of 19 per cent year on year.

Ali Al Nabooda, general manager, Audi, Al Nabooda Automobiles, said: “The appetite for Audi models in Dubai and the Northern Emirates is very strong and this year has started very successfully for us.

“As more drivers choose Audi in the UAE, we are responding to an increasing customer base with this top of the range service center, just another example of the commitment in providing not only beautifully engineered cars but personalized customer service.”

Other features of the Al Nabooda Automobiles’ expansion programme are the new Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen showrooms and workshops in Sharjah and Fujairah, built to service customers in the Northern Emirates. – TradeArabia News Service