First batch of Abu Dhabi-built buses shipped to Australia

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi-based Hafilat Industries on Monday said it has commenced shipping its first export batch of European buses to Australia from its factory in ICAD-1, Mussafah, which opened earlier this year.

The shipment will be part of the company's contract to supply the city of Melbourne with 'Low Floor' city-buses on a Mercedes Benz chassis.

"This contract reverses the usual paradigm in the UAE of importing vehicles to manufacturing and exporting vehicles," the company said in a statement.

The establishment of Hafilat's factory is a ground-breaking move to establish a local manufacturing industry that serves the region and other global markets, supporting the UAE's move toward economic diversification.

Hafilat director Obaid Sughair Khalaf Al Qubaisi, said: "The UAE is the first country in the GCC to build European quality buses. With the fast-developing nature of the region, safe public transport vehicles is set to grow exponentially. Accordingly, there are major business opportunities for a local bus manufacturer."

Qubaisi said: "Our policy of 'buying local' wherever possible will support home-grown companies and reduce our carbon footprint in the long run."

Hafilat's General Manager, Bob McCulloch, adds, "The technology we are using combined with European best practices as our quality standard, also means that Hafilat-produced buses are amongst the safest and most environmentally-friendly in the world today."

Apart from the City Buses, Hafilat can manufacture a full range of public transport buses.