UAE’s Fastest Growing Automotive Companies 2022 | Feb-22

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VOL.02 | ISSUE 23

UAE's Fatsest Growing

Automotive

Companies 2022

Era of Electrification Automotive Industry in UAE: Transformational Change through Technology Full Throttle The Future of Mobility

Imad Hammad Founder and CEO

CarSwitch Enhancing Customer Experience Seamlessly

Steering Wheels Got Easy! www.insightssuccess.com

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VOL.02 | ISSUE 23

wish I had a car, has been one of the most inert desires of many. But, what is it that bridges us with the world of cars?

If you are thinking about the automotive companies, you got it right!

Be it a school kid, a teenager, or a traveler searching for a comfortable car drive experience, cars have always been fascinating to everyone. Knowing such love and passion for automobiles, automotive companies are ushering with their technological marvels while introducing automotive services into the global market. Amongst many, UAE is one of the most popular and approachable markets for such companies. Be it the spare parts supply, car rentals, or driver services, UAE automotive companies have been the remedy to all the challenges.

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From luxury cars to the sports wheel, UAE is brimming with innovative entrepreneurs. With the technology influx in the automobile sector, automotive service providers have built up a unified system of an online platform. This makes it easy for the consumers and companies to streamline the hiring and purchasing process while enhancing the customer experience at its best.

comprehensive car inspection while its customers experience a hassle-free buying or selling experience.

While you flip through the inspiring stories of such automotive disruptors, do make sure to read the insightful articles written by our editorial team.

Have an exciting read!

In an endeavor to share the marvels of such automotive companies, we at Insights Success came up with our new edition, UAE's Fastest Growing Automotive Companies 2022.’

Featuring on our cover is Car Switch, a company that is unique in its kind. It is a platform that facilitates a

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CarSwitch Enhancing Customer Experience Seamlessly

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Automo ve Industry in UAE: Transforma onal Change through Technology

The Future of Mobility

BuyParts24 Transforming UAE Automobiles with Mul -Vendor Online Auto Parts Marketplace

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OneClickDrive For an effortless car-rental experience

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Mouna Abbassy

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Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar Senior Editor Anish Miller Managing Editor Bhushan Bhad Assisting Editors Trishika, Vishal Visualiser David King Art & Design Head Rohil Shinganapurkar Co-designer Paul Belin Art & Design Assistant Mrunalinee Deshmukh Business Development Manager Sherin Rodricks Marketing Manager Joseph D'souza Business Development Executives Kelly, David Sales Executives Mark, Alice Technical Head Jacob Smile Assistant Technical Head Amar Sawant Technical Consultants Prachi, Rajeshwari Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Renuka Kulkarni SME-SMO Executives Gemson Research Analyst Eric Smith Circulation Manager Tanaji sales@insightssuccess.com

February, 2022 Corporate Ofce Insights Success Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States Phone - (614)-859-2600 Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.com

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Company Name

Featuring

Brief

AlgoDriven algodriven.xyz

Glenn Harwood Co-founder

AlgoDriven is home to engineers, data scientists, and automotive experts. The company believes in progressing the automotive industry with data driven solutions.

Bureau Veritas group.bureauveritas.com

Ettore Pollicardo President and CEO

Bureau Veritas is a world leader in Testing, Inspection and Certification. Through its wide range of expertise, impartiality and independence, Bureau Veritas fosters confidence between companies, public authorities and clients.

Alma Aboud Founder

BuyParts24 is your digital auto parts marketplace connecting distributors to workshops, while lowering operational costs, improving customer reach, expanding market penetration and providing a seamless trading experience.

CarSwitch carswitch.com

Imad Hammad Founder and CEO

CarSwitch takes the entire process off the seller and buyer hands employing a fleet of certified specialists and cutting edge technology to inspect, certify, and warranty every car, vet serious buyers, match them with trusted sellers and guide the two through the full transaction.

Interroll Group interroll.com

Ingo Specht Managing Director

The Interroll Group is the leading global provider of material handling solutions. Interroll provides system integrators and OEMs with a wide range of platform-based products and services.

Load-Me load-me.com

Sebastian Stefan CEO

LoadMe is an award-winning truck transport management system which focuses on matching shippers with carriers.

MySyara mysyara.com

Chirenj Chandran CEO

MySyara offers a convenient, trusted and professional service, from mobile car washing and detailing to oil changes, diagnostics and on time servicing.

OneClickDrive oneclickdrive.com

Vinay Pagarani Founder and Growth Manager

The OneClickDrive car rental app and website gives you access to the world's largest car rental and leasing marketplace on your device.

TotalEnergies Global totalenergies.com

Patrick Pouyanne Chairman of the Board, CEO

TotalEnergies is a broad energy company that produces and markets energies on a global scale: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity.

YallaParking yallaparking.com

Craig McDonald Co-founder and CEO

YallaParking is the UAE's first and largest online marketplace for private parking space.

BuyParts24 buyparts24.com

Imad Hammad Founder and CEO

Our business is a peer-to-peer, digital-first platform that allows users to buy and sell used cars directly.

UAE's Fatsest Growing Automotive Companies 2022

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hen you buy a new car and drive it off the lot, it depreciates or loses value almost immediately.

This loss is approximately 15% to 20% of its value each year.

The wholesale value is always less than the original retail value of the car, and for a well-known brand, this depreciation can be in significant proportions.

Thus, finance experts always suggest buying a late-model used car over a new car due to first-year depreciation, knowing that a new car depreciates the minute you drive it off the lot.

With the increasing economic literacy, people are investing their money in beneficial ways. This economic literacy also changes the social stigma of buying a used car, considering that someone’s used car can be someone else’s first car.

Hence, the demand for used cars is rising with each passing day. Looking at this demand, CarSwitch entered the used cars market to provide comprehensive services for buyers as well as sellers – from checking and monitoring to advising and documentation.

In the following interview, Imad Hammad, the Founder and CEO sheds light on the company’s journey, its offerings, and the future of the used cars market.

Please brief our audience about CarSwitch, its USPs, and its position as a leading name in the automotive space.

Our business is a peer-to-peer, digital-first platform that allows users to directly buy and sell used cars. Sales are conducted through a private transaction, protected by CarSwitch, and this ensures that both the seller and buyer get the best value, and both remain safe throughout the transaction. By buying and selling directly through CarSwitch, users are able to benefit from greater transparency with our verified vehicle checks and secure transaction model.

Buying directly from another private individual allows our users/customers the ability to benefit from better financial deals. The traditional dealership model will always have to factor in their margins and overheads, but we’re able to offer customers a better deal through a model that keeps the entire transaction crisp, clean, and professional.

Starting with our mobile app, we have introduced a twominute financing pre-approval facility, so buyers can get pre-qualification online and know which cars fit their wallets. On top of that, the app also tells you that your EMI (Equated Monthly Instalment) will be based on your chosen down payment and loan period.

When it comes to securing the loan, CarSwitch handles all the paperwork and secures the financing from one of the approved lenders in the UAE. So overall, we have digitized a difficult and time-consuming process and made it extremely user-friendly for people looking to buy a car on finance in the UAE. Tell us more about CarSwitch’s offerings and what aspects make it stand out in the industry.

Speed, transparency, and value are the overriding factors in CarSwitch marking new standards for the industry. Our financing model is designed with speed in mind allowing buyers easy access to loans and as much information as they require to purchase. In the eventuality that there are outstanding loans on a car, we also manage that process to take the pain away from the end-user.

Being an experienced leader, share your opinion on how the adoption of modern technologies like AI and ML is impacting the automotive industry and how is CarSwitch adapting to the change?

While the terms Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are usually heard in the automotive industry in connection to self-driving cars, car manufacturing, and route navigation, it’d be a mistake to overlook its impact in the used cars industry.

We’re able to offer customers a better deal through a model that keeps the entire transaction crisp, clean, and professional.

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About the Leader Imad has led CarSwitch since its launch in 2016. Since then, he has raised over $10M in funding, growing the business 32x, reaching $100m in annual car sales.

Through Imad’s leadership, the CarSwitch platform now has over 500k app users and has led the platform to become one of the highest-rated automotive experiences on both the iOS App and Google Play Store.

Imad’s background is in consulting at McKinsey & Company, and he spent over ten years working across 10+ developed and emerging markets. This has allowed him to understand the needs of an evolving industry as well as develop mechanisms to communicate effectively with and respond to the needs of a very disparate consumer base.

With CarSwitch, he’s been able to create a platform that combines the increasingly digital needs of a younger, hyperconnected consumer and aligns this with the evolving trends of the used car market.

Buyers and Sellers will always exist but finding the right platform on which they can conduct their business easily, underscored by the verifiable trust, has always been the key. Core to the business strategy has been Imad’s long-term aspirations for the brand.

November 2021 has been the next step for this with the rollout of the platform in Saudi Arabia. Imad will continue to lead CarSwitch’s Middle East expansion plans to make the platform a go-to site for the used car market across the region.

Demonstrating Excellence We’ve just been awarded the title of Most Trusted Pre-Owned Car Dealership Company by Dubai MEA Business Awards 2021, which has been a great achievement for the team.

We are the highest-rated iOS and Android Play Store app with over 500k app users. Over the last year, we’ve grown by ≈ 40% alone. Talking about Organic web traffic, we have grown 100% and in Direct Web Traffic, more than 40%.

With the used car industry booming, and more and more people looking to buy and sell cars using online channels, there is an abundance of data on our hands to provide a ‘smarter’ experience to customers.

At CarSwitch, we’ve gone all-in on the use of AI/ML. Our car recommendation engine analyses user behavior and determines patterns to suggest the most suitable cars for your needs. The recommendations are not just based on obvious facets like the year, make, model of the car but also whether the car is considered ‘premium’ or ‘reliable’ and based on your viewing history and those of other customers, the algorithm knows exactly which car to pitch to you!

Our car valuator is another AI-backed area where we marry historical transactions data, current market trends, and car conditions to determine the most suitable price for your car.

And at CarSwitch, we like to put our money where our mouth is, so when you list your car on CarSwitch, we make you an instant cash offer for your car, based on our algorithm’s recommendation. At CarSwitch, we believe we’ve barely scratched the surface of what AI/ML can help us achieve. There’s a long road ahead, and we’re excited to be on this.

Speed, transparency, and value are the overriding factors in CarSwitch marking new standards for the industry.

We like to put our money where our mouth is!

Considering the current pandemic, what initial challenges did you face, and how did you drive the company to sustain operations while ensuring the safety of your employees at the same time?

Like all businesses, over the last 18 months, we’ve had to adapt to a rapidly evolving environment. Our business is digital-first which meant that our period of adjustment was less painful than others in the industry. We don’t have forecourts; therefore, our business isn’t built on the need to have large numbers congregating. When someone is looking to sell their car, we send one qualified technician who can test the vehicle, take the photos, and advise you.

After that, the entire process is online.

We manage so many aspects of the sales process that we were able to still provide customers with information about the industry and their cars and allow people to research potential acquisitions during the early lockdowns.

Once things opened up, some customers were still understandably hesitant about interacting with multiple parties to buy or sell a car, so factoring in our health and safety protocols, we were able to reduce that worry for them.

The reality of many retail channels over the past 18 months has been how customers could actually view products. Our model was built with the digital element upfront, allowing buyers to research and view multiple cars directly from their phones, ask questions, and arrange test drives. For the test drives, we manage that process for them as well, so our customers can feel confident about the process progressing even when they are not on site.

What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the automotive industry?

Watch the road ahead and be ready to change gear. Listen to your teams, your customers and give them what they want.

This is something that we are deeply committed to as we grow. We’ve recently completed a market research study in

the UAE to better understand market needs, and the findings from that directly feed into how we are planning to move forward in 2022.

Invest in your technology but do so with customers in mind.

Technology without purpose is a waste of time, money, and resources. From our website, AI, CRM systems, and partner relationships, we’ve been looking to enhance our technology to serve the customers’ needs first. We’ll continue to evolve, but with every step we take, we’ll keep focusing on tomorrow’s market needs and what our customers are telling us today.

How do you envision scaling CarSwitch’s operations and offerings in 2022 and beyond?

We’ve just launched our company in Saudi Arabia and are very excited about this. The Saudi market represents over 35% of all GCC sales in the region and is on the steepest growth trajectories globally. In the first quarter of 2021, KSA accounted for 1.5% of global sales – a 28% growth in absolute volume of sales.

The growth in Saudi is being driven by young people.

Almost 70% of the population is under 30, with 50% being under 25. If you look at the wider issues of a relatively limited public transportation network, then the pattern for an increasingly mobile population has to follow. And since the structural change in KSA, the growth is certainly being accelerated by women being able to drive independently.

All of this is critical in how we are looking to tap into this massive market.

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UAE's Fastest Growing Automo ve Companies 2022

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veryone is affectionate with their vehicles and always desires to buy nothing but the best spare parts available when in need. Although, due to the unavailability of options, people usually settle for whichever time-saving option is available in the market.

Such a situation arises due to an unorganized condition of the spare parts marketplace. There is a lack of interconnected communication channels between distributors, workshops, fleet owners, and operators, and they are not well-connected in the market. With the goal of solving these challenges once and for all, BuyParts24 was launched by Alma Aboud (Founder) in JAFZA, Dubai.

Today, the company is a leading multi-vendor auto parts marketplace in the UAE region. Using its online platform, anyone can find the best spare parts for any make, model, and version of a car in the UAE. BuyParts24 platform also strengthens sellers by boosting their brand and provides instant, market-driven data, and analytics. It offers the widest quality and price-competitive auto parts product portfolio across all categories.

We got a chance to interview the pioneering Alma and learned more about her innovative platform looking to reshape the UAE's spare parts marketplace to the next level.

Below are the highlights of the interview:

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BuyParts24 connects distributors with garages, workshops, fleet owners, and operators. Until now, no single entity has been able to solve the same market problems by bringing these parties together on a single, neutral platform where they can all mutually benefit.

Starting with a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), part number, or even a make and model is combined with a powerful search capability, complemented by Artificial Intelligence (A.I).

As a result, BuyParts24 is truly helping to redefine the efficiency of finding the right genuine or aftermarket alternative automotive parts. Further underpinning the

We do not simply aggregate the current spare parts market, we enhance it.

Please brief our audience about your company, its USPs, and how it is currently positioned as a leading automotive company.

BuyParts24 is a first mover of its kind in the UAE as an innovative, digital business-to-business (B2B) auto parts marketplace. Suppliers and buyers can access the platform via the web, the app store, the play store, and the app

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The Ambitious Leader Brought up in a family of business owners, Alma Aboud was exposed to business topics o en.

From casual conversa ons to business mee ngs with industry leaders and interna onal events such as the latest Forbes 30/50 Summit, a global event gathering genera ons of women from both the "30 Under 30" list and the "50 Over 50" list, Alma has done it all.

The entrepreneurial focus of her upbringing had a las ng impact on her and her siblings. While bureaucracy, technology, financial chats, and debates about women in society are topics that are hard to digest for some, Alma found herself deba ng such subjects at a young age during dinner-table conversa ons.

Women's underrepresenta on in fields such as the automo ve and logis cs industry fascinated Alma. She had a lot of ques ons and was curious about numerous things, but she knew she could not accept this as the norm.

When businesses were uniquely impacted by COVID-19, Alma was ques oning what that meant to companies. She read various ar cles about businesses, especially in the automo ve industry, how they pumped the brakes hard globally due to the pandemic. She also observed the world as it transi oned to digital, some fully, others hybrid. She thought to herself, why not? This ques on, "Why not?" was the trigger of a lot of research. What are the challenges that businesses in the automo ve and a ermarket industries face? How can she solve them? Is digi za on the answer? What will it take to convince all those par es to entrust Alma?

Long conversa ons with industry professionals and her father, Ghassan Aboud, founder of the leading company in regional and interna onal automo ve re-export and supply chain solu ons, Ghassan Aboud Cars and Spare Parts were the first roots to establishing BuyParts24.

Alma is now the founder of the BuyParts24 marketplace.

She works closely with the business development team, the product development team, the business intelligence team, and others to ensure that BuyParts24 con nues to solve challenges industry specialists encounter.

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typical sub-distributor-focused flows, the BuyParts24 marketplace lays out a more direct supply route. Thereby, it also helps cut operational expenses, increase reach, and optimize market penetration. Never before have authorized suppliers had the ability to instantly connect with thousands of qualified buyers.

BuyParts24 is a member of the Ghassan Aboud Group (GAG)—a multi-disciplined conglomerate founded in 1994.

Since its launch, BuyParts24 has not merely aggregated the spare parts market; it has redefined it.

Today, BuyParts24 has become the UAE region's largest online auto parts marketplace. And it is the destination of choice for over 3,500 interested buyers, as well as all of the leading authorized distributors and trusted suppliers.

Growing every day, the product portfolio brings together over 50,000 of the fastest moving parts, instantly searchable and comparable to qualified alternatives.

Shed some light on your distinct offerings and how they impact the automotive industry and your clients.

BuyParts24 is a one-stop-shop for buyers; it offers the widest product range across all parts categories at a variety of price points, as well as logistics and delivery solutions.

The marketplace only onboards verified and trusted parts sellers and brands to guarantee the highest quality at all times. Due to its instant quality parts availability and express delivery promise, buyers rely on the marketplace to prevent loss of time or revenue.

On the other hand, the BuyParts24 marketplace empowers sellers by boosting their brand and provides instant, marketdriven data, and analytics.

BuyParts24 supports a shift towards the digital world where sellers can streamline their deliveries and seamlessly manage their operations, from listing their products to tracking their inventory, orders, promotions, offers, and returns. In addition to being a centralized digital outlet and an additional distribution channel, the BuyParts24 marketplace helps sellers construct informed, data-driven decisions based on business insights and dashboards.

Both buyers and sellers get to experience unparalleled service through live chat and call centers.

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Being an experienced leader, share your opinion on how the adoption of modern technologies has impacted the automotive industry and how is your company riding the technology wave?

The industry is changing drastically because the end consumer is evolving. Every individual in the supply chain has an impact on how companies conduct business.

There is not a single industry that has not been impacted by COVID-19. The automotive industry, for one, has been a hot topic among many during that period. Whilst challenges were present, BuyParts24 chose to find solutions and meet the expectations of its partners and users, simplifying their operations and filling the gaps in communication that occurred as a result of quarantine.

For BuyParts24, it was all about resilience and consistency.

With customers' increased awareness of technological innovations, expectations are elevated. The automotive aftermarket is realizing that power shift and is pivoting accordingly. There is no denying that the technology wave brings with it its own challenges, but it also smoothens out processes and achieves a seamless experience. These are some of the things that the UAE's quality-conscious and convenience-driven communities demand.

BuyParts24 quickly realized that, thus, it created a new win-win situation or platform. BuyParts24 used technology in its favor and has created a marketplace that efficiently consolidates the supply chain process with complete end-toend accountability. It is built to be the first step in accelerating effective parts selection and thereby enabling more efficient allocation of highly valuable labor time.

What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the automotive space?

You do not need to reinvent the wheel; you just need to identify a gap in the market that you can capitalize on. Do your homework, read the room, and study all parties involved in the process. Listen to experts and leaders and listen to those who are starting off their careers, no matter what their title is. This will help you identify issues, and sometimes find effective solutions.

How do you envision scaling your organization's operations and offerings in 2022 and beyond?

BuyParts24 plans to focus on the below key areas and operations to grow its market hold in 2022 and beyond. Ÿ

Tackling the challenge of grey imports into the UAE and counterfeit products which could be a health and safety hazard.

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Data-driven decision-making for buyers and sellers

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Supporting public entities with insights on how to augment the automotive spare parts market in the region and the potential impacts this may have on city planning.

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Bringing structure and organization to a rather disorganized market

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Supporting public entities with the need to bring standardization to the workshops and garages in terms of quality, safety, certification, and assurance

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Impacting a change in customer behavior towards the future of online commerce within an industry that is rather traditional in the region, thus accelerating the digital revolution of the region to reach global standards.

BuyParts24 uses a unique VIN-driven data methodology, coupled with AI tools, to cement its position as the primary destination for multi-vendor and genuine parts search.

Furthermore, BuyParts24 provides an innovative and instantly scalable pipeline via its business-to-business marketplace model to OEM, OES, or IAM sellers (vendors), further enhanced by intuitive data analytics and decision-supportive insights.

Complementing technology with human interaction, BuyParts24 is backed up by a devoted on-the-ground team who work tirelessly to support sellers and buyers through their journey and support the transition from physical to digital.

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However, the BuyParts24 marketplace is built based on digitization and aims to save time, cost, and effort, whilst increasing effectiveness, results, understanding, and revenue through technology.

Considering the current pandemic, what initial challenges did you face and how did you drive the company to sustain operations while ensuring the safety of your employees at the same time?

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AUTOMOTIVE Industry in UAE:

Transformational Change through Technology

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he automotive sector is undergoing rapid change as a result of digitization. Autonomous driving, electric vehicles, speedier connection, and artificial intelligence are all changing the way people travel in cities.

As technology advances, so do requirements and expectations.

To some extent, urbanization has influenced this progress.

Mobility choices fluctuate as a city develops and flourishes, depending on the traveler's lifestyle. Consider how restricted life would be in Dubai if you couldn't use the subway to get to the Mall of the Emirates, for example.

Excellent metro connectivity, ride-sharing app availability, and the development of electric and hybrid vehicle options have all become critical in addressing local mobility needs and expectations.

The challenge, on the other hand, is to create the future of mobility while anticipating both government and citizen expectations in order to assure safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly alternatives.

Congestion, pollution, and a lack of access to public transportation networks are all becoming more of a concern. As a result, it is critical to comprehend changes in traffic and transportation systems.

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That being established, the automobile industry is undergoing significant change, particularly in the Middle East. This change would not have been possible without technological integration and digitalization.

Vehicle Automation Bringing the Next Big Change In the mobility sector, there are several levels of autonomy.

While certain means of transportation, such as the driverless Dubai Metro, provide a higher level of autonomy, others still require the driver's control.

While self-driving technologies are deployed in the vehicle, levels one to three require the driver to assume control of the vehicle in order to preserve overall safety. While park assist, lane assist, and adaptive cruise control are examples of highly successful self-driving technology in personal automobiles, they do not make a vehicle totally autonomous.

For instance, the front and rear cross-traffic alert system, which alerts the driver of an impending collision, aids in the utilization of the car's maximum braking capacity to avoid an accident; yet, it still requires overall control from the driver.

Personal vehicles will become totally autonomous as technology advances, allowing passengers to travel long distances with complete independence. These vehicles are supposed to be electric, human error-free, and incredibly efficient, which is great news for the environment.

Autonomous cars can even be trained to 'speak' to one another, which means that if a particular road is congested, the cars can communicate and recommend a different path.

Furthermore, this technology has the potential to lessen the likelihood of traffic collisions.

While this isn't likely to happen quickly, the UAE government has already begun laying the groundwork for seamless and successful integration by establishing autonomous vehicle standards and rules.

The automotive industry is collaborating with technology experts and government agencies to create integrated systems that are better suited to modern lifestyles. Electric automobiles, on the other hand, are still considered specialist products and have yet to become a mainstream option.

That needs to change.

It's also promising that the UAE is one of the most established markets for electric vehicles in the Middle East, thanks to the installation of many charging stations around Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Towards a Greener Future The UAE is already paving the way for autonomous transportation with its Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy, which intends to transition 25% of Dubai's total transportation to autonomous mode by 2030. Achieving this goal would provide significant financial benefits as well as a significant reduction in the city's carbon footprint.

Self-driving automobiles' widespread adoption in the future holds a lot of potential. A more sustainable future requires less traffic and road collisions, as well as a lower carbon impact.

Carbon-neutral and sustainable mobility is not only an attainable goal in the UAE in the near to medium term, but it is also inevitable, according to the government's agenda.

The automobile industry is experiencing both exciting and challenging times.

- Trishika Rokade

Saving the Environment with E-Mobility The transition to electric vehicles is a technological requirement for fully autonomous vehicles, and the environmental benefits and cheaper maintenance costs they provide are critical for the future. The worldwide car sector has been aggressively pursuing electrification. By 2025, Volkswagen plans to sell over 20 all-electric cars worldwide.

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UAE's Fastest Growing Automotive Companies 2022

For an effortless car-rental experience

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f you are planning a trip to the UAE, and making it memorable is your top priority, you will learn that all the places on your bucket list are far spread across the region. From the magnificent Burj Khalifa to the popular shopping malls, the beautiful palm islands and driving back to the resort of your choice, the best way to travel is by car.

How wonderful it would be if you can avail your favourite car to take you to any place your heart desires?

Renting a car is time-saving and far more comfortable compared to public transport, which pretty much feels like owning a car! You can self-drive it, or ask for a professional chauffeur, with the best rates guaranteed.

Fascinated by innovative solutions, seamless service, and added perks that let customers skip hefty maintenance and insurance, the for-hire-vehicle industry has received customers in growing numbers. A lot of them also prefer renting a car for a prolonged period of time, which makes it luxuriously convenient. Feels like a dream, right? Only that it isn't!

OneClickDrive caters and comprehensively delivers, all of the above intriguing features and even more.

OneClickDrive works with more than 100 car rental suppliers across the United Arab Emirates, serving an exciting car rental marketplace, that has revolutionized the face of car rentals in the UAE and is poised to bring a global revolution.

Visionary Co-founder and Growth Manager, Vinay Pagarani, shared his outlook for the blooming car rental industry and experiences along his journey with the company in an interview with Insights Success. Below are some experts from the interview: Please brief our audience about your company, its USPs, and how it is currently positioned as a leading automotive company.

OneClickDrive is the UAE's biggest car rental marketplace with 120+ car rental companies and 1300+ car rental listings. The OneClickDrive website and car rental apps are among the top portals to finding the best car rental deals.

It is free for users to compare offers and book a car directly with the service provider. You can find and book any car under the sun. From a convertible Ferrari and an exotic

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Shed some light on your distinct offerings and how they impact the automotive industry and your clients?

OneClickDrive.com works with 150+ car rental suppliers across the UAE. From budget car rentals to the most exotic, luxury, and sports cars which can be hired by residents as well as tourists. Combining all our suppliers' rental fleet, you can choose among 50,000 cars to hire a car in Dubai starting at AED 100 per day, across all car types, brands, models available in the UAE. You can rent a small car such as a Kia Picanto and even the Lamborghini Urus for AED 3500/day with Rolls Royce Cullinan 2019 for AED 4000/day.

Over the years, OneClickDrive has delivered a huge amount of business to our listed partners: as high as 20 check-outs within a day. We have bolstered the car rental industry in the region. Some of our clients have been working with us right since the company's inception in 2015. In fact, we have witnessed them doubling and some even quadrupling their fleet over the years.

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Please brief us about the featured person's(s) journey in the industry and how they have contributed to the firm's success.

I (Vinay Pagarani) work closely with the web/app development team and the sales team, keeping the user's needs at the forefront while keeping the interests of his clients in mind is where he spends most of his time and effort. A healthy balance has contributed to OneClickDrive's success.

Considering the current pandemic, what initial challenges did you face and how did you drive the company to sustain operations while ensuring the safety of your employees at the same time?

OneClickDrive came into existence at a time when the car rental industry was predominantly offline in Dubai. Most shops depended on walk-in customers and outbound telesales. It was an arduous task to get them online and to adopt inbound marketing strategies. Yet the companies that partnered with us are with us to date. They understood that their TA (target audience) in the region is modern and always online.

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Cut to the pandemic when walk-in customers completely vanished for the industry. However, Dubai handled the pandemic extremely well as compared to any other city in the world. The city lockdown and airport closure lasted only a few days. Covid regulations were set in place and the public was allowed to move about. We are thankful to the visionary administrative mindset of Sheikh Mohammed and UAE leaders.

We saw it as an opportunity in disguise and scaled up our digital marketing activities. Users found our partners' fleet on OneClickDrive and booked with them instantaneously. A lot more companies came on board soon after.

How do you envision scaling your organization's operations and offerings in 2022 and beyond?

We are working on a CRM SAAS for the car rental industry. One that's closely aligned with the local UAE market and, moving forward, as per international markets.

This will catapult OneClickDrive to new heights in the region. Our main objective is to standardize the industry, streamline its operations and improve customer service.

OneClickDrive is poised to expand globally. We hope to enter the European market as the COVID regulations are put at ease. While we already work with a number of companies online, a local presence would speed things up.

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Future of

Mobility obility's future is at a fork in the road. In 2020, worldwide auto sales would total 59.5 million units, down 20% from the previous year. Despite the unmistakable influence of the COVID-19 epidemic, various mobility developments in recent years have already sent the vehicle industry into a tailspin.

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reduce private automobile use and congestion by providing more support for alternate forms of transportation, such as bicycles. Car access controls are also being implemented in several urban areas. In reality, over 150 European towns have already enacted low-emissions and pollution-related access regulations.

Continue reading to learn about the key mobility trends that are accelerating change in this business as we head into a very different mobility future.

Mobility as a Service

Electrification of Vehicles That distant hum is the sound of the mobility notion evolving—for the better. While there are still obstacles to the electrification of the vehicle fleet, there are also opportunities worth fighting for. This is especially true in cities, where pollution, traffic, and safety are important concerns nowadays. As population and GDP development drive higher automobile ownership and vehicle kilometers traveled, mobility issues will worsen if the current quo persists. As a result, the mobility industry is unleashing a dazzling array of technologies aimed at urban roadways, including mobility-as-a-service, enhanced traffic control and parking systems, freight-sharing solutions, and novel two- and three-wheeled transportation models.

To speed up the transition to sustainable mobility, governments and cities have implemented rules and incentives. Emissions targets are being set more stringently by regulators around the world. Cities are attempting to

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Although not everyone has heard of the term 'Mobility as a Service,' or MaaS, as it is known in the transportation industry, if you've recently taken an Uber or even a traditional cab, you may be familiar with the basic notion.

MaaS, on the other hand, is much more than just app-based ridesharing. It represents an entirely new way of thinking about mobility and transportation, one that is directly linked to the origins of today's smart city.

The concept is straightforward at its foundation. Rather than siloing transportation services into distinct funnels as they are today, MaaS aims to better integrate them, saving users time and money.

Vehicle to Everything (V2X) The world is filled with perplexing acronyms, and V2X is no different. The term "vehicle-to-everything," or V2X, means all of a vehicle's connected communications. The main concept is that a vehicle may (or will be able to) use its onboard communication facilities to transmit real-time traffic information, respond to changing road conditions in

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advance, detect road signs and warnings, and more. While V2X functions alone will not be able to manage a vehicle devoid of a driver, they are key components in an autonomous vehicle's ability to put together a picture of its surroundings.

Autonomous Driving Technology A self-driving car is one that can sense its surroundings and function without the necessity for human intervention. A human passenger does not need to take control of the car at any point, nor is a human passenger need to be present in the vehicle at all. A self-driving automobile can go anywhere a traditional car can go and accomplish everything a skilled human driver can do.

Sensors, actuators, complicated algorithms, machine learning systems, and powerful processors are used to run software in autonomous vehicles.

will be required to develop accurate and integrated mobility solutions, particularly among digital behemoths with the financial resources to support research and innovation in these fields.

From the standpoint of the public sector, a collaboration between the public and private sectors, as represented by large high-tech firms, should be encouraged as much as feasible. Governments should encourage the growth of the four emerging trends discussed in this article, with a focus on how to drive investment into areas that may be used to benefit the country.

The disruption will very certainly be massive, presenting both opportunities and hazards.

- Trishika Rokade

Based on a number of sensors located in the entire vehicle, autonomous automobiles develop and maintain a map of their surroundings. Radar sensors keep a check on the movement of adjacent cars. Traffic signals are detected by video cameras, which also read road signs, monitor other vehicles, and look for pedestrians. Lidar (light detection and ranging) sensors estimate distances, detect road boundaries, and recognize lane markers by bouncing light pulses off the car's surroundings. When parking, ultrasonic sensors in the wheels detect curbs and other vehicles.

After processing all of this sensory data, sophisticated software maps a path and delivers commands to the car's actuators, which control acceleration, braking, and steering.

The software follows traffic rules and navigates obstacles thanks to hard-coded rules, obstacle avoidance algorithms, predictive modeling, and object identification.

Conclusion Companies and organizations should think about how to grow in numerous markets and segments, as well as how their supporting operating models are set up. To design trustworthy solutions to move people and products, a new mix of cross-sectoral competencies is necessary.

Collaboration between participants from many industries will become increasingly important for encouraging innovation.

The change will not be led by a single company or sector in the private sector. Instead, the extraordinary collaboration

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From kiosks to agship store: izil's transformation that delivered 500% growth

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AE-based Moroccan beauty brand izil's constant transformation and evolution to meet the changing customer expectations have resulted in a 500% YO-Y growth of the brand over the years.

Founder Mouna Abbassy started her retail journey with selling products on facebook and then opening six kiosks in different malls in the UAE until 2016. In 2016, Abbassy decided to close all the existing kiosks and open a singular kiosk in Dubai Mall and launch an e-commerce website. izil opened its own GMP-certified manufacturing facility in Ras Al Khaimah in 2019. Subsequently, a year later, on June 30th, 2020, a unique flagship store was launched in the Dubai Mall after another brand revamp.

"Firstly, we learnt that The Dubai Mall gave us enough visibility. Secondly, we needed to focus on growing the ecommerce, and finally, converting all the kiosks to the new design would have been very costly for the brand", said Mouna Abbassy, explaining why they decided to close all kiosks and open one unified flagship store.

The introduction of the flagship store strengthened sales further and provided more stability than its previous kiosks. "It definitely helped the business financially thanks to higher sales than the previous kiosk, but it is also a long term investment in a concept that we are planning to franchise in the future once it is completed," she added.

Up until 2020, Saudi Arabia was izil's biggest market, but after the second revamp, opening of the new store and strengthening of its e-commerce portfolio, the UAE is now its primary market.

"The UAE growth was much stronger during the covid pandemic. Moreover, the implementation of the 15% VAT in Saudi plus stricter rules at the customs made it harder for us to sell in Saudi Arabia (we sell exclusively through ecommerce in that market). However, we still see it as the biggest GCC market in terms of potential and we are taking the necessary measures to develop izil there," she concluded.

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Lead People,

Manage Processes - Especially in Challenging Times

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eadership and management are terms frequently interchanged within the workplace. Both concepts are interconnected, but they do not mean the same thing. By understanding the differences between them, you will learn the importance of leadership in management and how leadership development will allow you to be a better manager overall.

"Leadership is not about position. It's about action." – Pulling Profits out of a Hat

As a business executive, management is handed to you along with your job title. A manager's job is to plan, organize and coordinate. Leadership, however, is a responsibility where managers innovate, challenge, and inspire their employees. You manage processes; you lead people.

In business, we need both leaders and managers:

managers must be leaders. A leader who cannot manage has a vision of where they want to go but no idea on how to get there. A manager who cannot lead is not able to build trust and create engagement within an organization to get to where they need to go.

To better understand the differences between management and leadership, think about the daily routines of the managers and leaders in your organization. Managers facilitate 1-on1's with their direct reports, creating clear expectations and holding their team accountable for meeting them.

Managers also hold team meetings for direction and communication, revisiting and tracking progress towards quarterly goals. Lastly, a manager reviews the actions and results of each individual and team to determine their performance.

Within a business, we need both leaders and managers. Leaders inspire people to take action. Managers hold people accountable for those actions.

A leader's daily routine is different – they focus on the big picture of the company, helping to inspire others through support and consistency. A leader shows appreciation to team members, gives awards and accolades when deserved. A leader also focuses on the personal development of each individual and team, working to foster the communication and feedback needed to make the organization stronger.

Anyone in the organization has the potential to become a leader, but

Behind every innovative company lies a charismatic leader who pushes and

"Leadership creates passionate and focused people, management oversees processes, so the team is competent and productive." – Pulling Profits out of a Hat

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inspires his or her employees to be the best. As Steve Jobs was to Apple and Jack Welch to GE, great CEOs are known for more than their management skills. They offer a different approach outside the norm and motivate their followers to execute their vision to reach their business goals.

Executive leaders instill a corporate culture in their organizations that encourage employees to stay engaged in their work. Employees are given recognition and are shown appreciation. By focusing on employees as well as the overall big picture, executive leaders help their people play to their strengths to reach their organizational goals.

Keys for leadership development: As a manager, are you a leader?

Leadership can be learned, and you should continue to grow as a leader through education and coaching. As an executive, you spend a lot of time and valuable resources training your staff on how to be managers. It is important to also teach executives how to be leaders.

All growth companies must be training and development companies. Every person in your organization should have a personal development plan, including yourself!

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