Al Yousuf Motors will open its first AC Delco service centre in Dubai's Rashidiya area in June. Investment is estimated at Dh2 million. The local agency, which has the rights for Chevrolet, South Korea's Daewoo and Japan's Daihatsu, also intends to add three more next year, according to a senior official.

"The location could not be better as the service centre will be in the heart of the Rashidiya Al Ramool commercial and industrial area. Accessibility will be particularly convenient from all points of Rashidiya as well as for commuters on Airport Road," Managing Director Kersie Polad said.

There are 13 AC Delco facilities in the Middle East operated by General Motors distributors. There are nine in Saudi Arabia and one each in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Jordan and Kuwait. Six more will come up in the near term, including that in Dubai. The facilities in Al Khobar and Jeddah will come on line by August. That in Kuwait is scheduled to open in March.

The first outlet in Qatar is coming up this month, and another will open in September. "The centres are always at convenient locations where the job is done quickly. No booking or reservation is required - it is a virtual drive-in and drive-out concept," said Polad. AC Delco centres service all automobile makes.

"Given the maturity of the market here nowadays, you simply have to be able to provide excellence for all makes," said Bilal Adnan, service centre manager in Abu Dhabi. "There is such a wide variety of vehicles being imported, and if you are not up to standard, consumers will simply stop coming to you."