Al Masaood Automobiles enhances customer engagement through digital transformation

Driving seamless digital experiences

Irfan Tansel, CEO, Al Masaood Automobiles explains how implementing AI-driven platforms is helping the brand personalise customer interaction and smoothen aftersales processes

■ How is Al Masaood Automobiles leveraging digital transformation to enhance customer experience?

Digital transformation is at the heart of everything we do at Al Masaood Automobiles. We have recognised that customers today expect seamless digital experiences, both online and offline. To meet these expectations, we have implemented AI-driven platforms that help us personalise customer interactions and streamline our sales and aftersales processes.

On top of that, we have integrated predictive analytics and customer relationship management (CRM) systems to provide insights into customer behavior and preferences, which help us deliver tailored offers and services. We are also enhancing our aftermarket services by leveraging predictive maintenance technologies to ensure that customers’ vehicles are serviced proactively, minimising downtime and increasing customer satisfaction.

As we continue to advance our digital strategy, we aim to make the experience more intuitive, ensuring that customers enjoy a seamless digital journey, whether they are purchasing, servicing, or interacting with our brand online.

■ Can you share your approach to fostering innovation and agility within your leadership team?

Innovation and agility are core values at Al Masaood Automobiles. I believe that fostering these qualities starts with empowering people. My approach is centred around creating a culture where employees feel comfortable sharing new ideas and taking risks. I always tell my team that failure is an option, as long as we learn from it and keep moving forward. If you’re not failing, you’re not innovating.

Our leadership team is encouraged to embrace change and continuously think outside the box. We actively promote cross-functional collaboration, as it allows for diverse perspectives and faster problem-solving. By giving our teams the autonomy to make decisions and recognising and rewarding innovation, we create an environment that thrives on creativity.

In terms of agility, we’ve made sure that our organisation is lean and flexible. We focus on optimising internal processes, embracing digital tools, and enhancing communication across all levels to enable quick decision-making and responsiveness to market changes.

■ How does Al Masaood Automobiles balance competing priorities of growth, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency?

For me, leading a car dealership has always been about one simple but powerful philosophy: put people at the centre of everything you do. And when I say people, I mean our customers, our employees, and our shareholders. That belief has guided me through four decades of running dealerships, and it continues to define our culture and operations at Al Masaood Automobiles today.

Customer centricity is one of our strategic pillars. Our mission is to truly delight our customers, to win their trust and loyalty in ways that span not just years, but sometimes generations.

After over 40 years in the market, we’re proud to say we service more than half of Abu Dhabi’s automotive customers through our brands and services. That kind of long-term growth doesn’t happen by chasing volume alone — it happens because people come back for the service, the seamless experience, and the trust we’ve built over time.

To maintain that balance between growth, satisfaction, and efficiency, we start with listening. We monitor our Net Promoter Scores (NPS), customer satisfaction ratings, and customer feedback consistently — not just as performance metrics, but as real-time conversations that help us improve.

At the same time, we never lose sight of operational excellence. We work closely with our principal brands — Nissan, INFINITI, and Renault — to ensure our product mix meets evolving market demand, while behind the scenes we use data and smart technologies to streamline processes and improve agility.

Our commitment to integrated excellence is part of our DNA. It’s why Al Masaood Automobiles was the first dealership in the UAE to win the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award from our very first submission. It was a recognition of how we’ve embedded innovation, efficiency, and customer-first thinking into every part of the business.

So how do we balance growth, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency? We don’t treat them as separate goals. We treat them as outcomes of one shared philosophy: when you put people first, everything else follows.

■ How has the global shift in automotive supply chains created opportunities for the Middle East market?

The global shift in automotive supply chains, especially due to trade tensions and the challenges of post-pandemic recovery, has opened significant opportunities for the Middle East.

As global automakers face challenges in their traditional markets, many are turning to the Middle East as an alternative destination for excess production, particularly given the region’s tariff-free trade policies.

For us, this means increased availability of vehicles and the ability to offer more choices to our customers. Moreover, the rise of Chinese automakers in the region, who are expanding rapidly due to global supply chain disruptions, has created a more competitive market. This is driving market players and dealers to focus even more on delivering value and quality at every touchpoint.

■ The Middle East automotive market is evolving rapidly — what major trends do you see shaping its future?

The Middle East automotive market is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by a combination of demographics, technology, and sustainability.

One of the youngest markets in the world, the region is shaped by a rising Gen Z population that, despite global narratives of declining car ownership, still sees personal mobility as essential.

What’s changing is not the desire to own a vehicle, but what that vehicle represents. Style and design, once the cornerstones of automotive appeal, are now sharing the stage with technology, connectivity, and environmental purpose. Cars are expected to be smarter, safer, and more sustainable.

In markets like the UAE, this shift is reinforced by strong government support. Initiatives such as the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 and Green Mobility strategies are paving the way for a new era of electric mobility. At the same time, mobility platforms like Careem are evolving into super-apps, integrating ride-hailing, EVs, and eco-friendly transport into digital-first ecosystems. AI, telematics, and smart retail systems are also redefining how customers interact with automotive brands.

Our mission is grounded in delivering intelligent mobility solutions. That means not only bringing in smarter vehicles, but also building the systems, digital tools, and aftersales support that genuinely enhance the customer experience.

We are actively exploring green fleet solutions, building partnerships with mobility providers, and preparing for a future in which vehicles are powered not only by clean energy, but also by insight and innovation.