Hinduja flagship Ashok Leyland (ALL) on Wednesday introduced two passenger bus models — the 70-seater Falcon Super and 26-seater Gazl — in Saudi Arabia. The company’s Ras Al Khaimah facility in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will produce new models. Falcon buses will be predominantly marketed to corporate entities while Gazl’s market will be more focused on the hospitality and tourism sector. ALL in a release said Saudi Arabia already has 3,500 Ashok Leyland buses plying on the roads, adding that the launch of two buses was done in partnership with the company’s exclusive dealer in Saudi Arabia, Western Auto of Al Ghurair Group. Nitin Seth, COO, Ashok Leyland, said: “Falcon Super and Gazl come from our state-of-the-art manufacturing base in Ras Al Khaimah, and is made to the specific parameters of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) transportation and mobility stipulations, with in-built advanced technology and safety solutions, for a comfortable journey.”
Falcon Super is from the Falcon league of buses acknowledged for its sturdiness blended with comfort and has been in use in the region by corporate entities as well as schools for over three decades. Gazl, which is sleek and stylish is a new and contemporary entrant in the market. “The Ras Al Khaimah plant which exports buses to Europe, Africa and the Middle East was established in 2007. It has manufactured over 20,000 buses so far, a large share of it plying on the roads of GCC countries, including in KSA. Our plant in RAK and increasing market share in GCC countries will play a key role in achieving our vision to be in the top 10 global CV makers,” Seth further said.
The $4.2 billion Ashok Leyland has nine manufacturing plants spread across India, the UAE and the UK, and is present across 50 countries. With a considerable market presence in the UAE for over 35 years, today, more than a million passengers travel every day in Ashok Leyland buses.
