Activities by Region
Middle East
In the late 1955, distributor agreements were concluded in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries, leading to the promotion of CBU exports.
Exports increased rapidly in the 1970s, with the market becoming the second biggest after North America in 1982. However, exports later stagnated as global demand for crude oil slowed and prices fell.
Today, Toyota has a sales network in the Middle East that includes 14 distributors and is meeting the needs of revitalized market growth in the area.
GCC Countries (Saudi Arabia)
|
Year
|
Month
|
Events
|
|---|---|---|
|
1955
|
April
|
Exports to Saudi Arabia commenced with one Land Cruiser unit
|
|
October
|
Distributor agreement signed with Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ)
|
|
|
1959
|
August
|
Crown marketed
|
|
1968
|
January
|
Area main dealer system sales policy implemented
|
|
December
|
Hilux introduced
|
|
|
1969
|
April
|
Cressida marketed
|
|
1976
|
March
|
Training program for ALJ executives conducted in Japan
|
|
December
|
Toyota achieves No. 1 market share
|
|
|
1977
|
January
|
First Dealer Meeting held in Athens
|
|
1978
|
November
|
First Middle East sales campaign conducted for 1979 model Hilux
|
|
1980
|
February
|
Land Cruiser and Cressida displayed at first motor show
|
|
February
|
Muhammad Ali hired for Hilux sales campaign
|
|
|
1981
|
December
|
Beam lifter and mixer vehicles displayed at special-purpose vehicle fair
|
|
1984
|
September
|
Certification system adopted, Saudi Arabia specification vehicles set
|
|
October
|
Proposal for plans to domestically-produce compact vehicles submitted
|
|
|
1985
|
July
|
Jeddah Representative Office opened
|
|
1986
|
November
|
New ALJ head office building completed
|
|
1993
|
April
|
Ceremony held to mark opening of ALJ Lexus Center
|
GCC Countries (Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman)
|
Year
|
Month
|
Events
|
|---|---|---|
|
1956
|
February
|
Distributor agreement signed with Mohammad Naser Al Sayer and Sons (MNSS) in Kuwait
|
|
March
|
Exports to Kuwait commenced with three Land Cruiser units
|
|
|
December
|
Distributor agreement signed with Al-Futtaim Motors Company (AFM) in UAE
|
|
|
1957
|
August
|
Crown and large truck introduced in Kuwait
|
|
1967
|
May
|
Distributor agreement signed with Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros. Co. (AAB) in Qatar
|
|
1969
|
October
|
Distributor agreement signed with Ebrahim K. Kanoo B.S.C. in Bahrain
|
|
1975
|
April
|
Distributor agreement signed with Suhail & Saud Bahwan in Oman
|
|
1978
|
October
|
New Al-Futtaim Motors showroom completed
|
|
1982
|
September
|
Dubai Representative Office opened in UAE (closed in June 1985)
|
|
1984
|
April
|
New MNSS head office building and showroom completed
|
|
1986
|
January
|
GCC specification vehicles set in Oman (Specifications set for each country thereafter)
|
|
1990
|
March
|
Lexus models introduced in GCC countries with launch of LS
|
|
1991
|
July
|
Toyota training center and representative office established in Bahrain
|
|
2002
|
August
|
Suhail & Saud Bahwan in Oman split to establish Saud Bahwan Automotive LLC (SBA); business with Toyota continued
|
|
2004
|
April
|
Ceremony held to mark 40 years of business with AAB in Qatar
|
|
2005
|
March
|
Ceremony held to mark 50 years of business with MNSS in Kuwait
|
|
November
|
Ceremony held to mark 50 years of business with AFM in UAE
|
|
|
December
|
Ceremony held to mark 30 years of business with SBA (and its predecessor) in Oman
|
Three Levant Countries (Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon) and Yemen, Iran, and Iraq
|
Year
|
Month
|
Events
|
|---|---|---|
|
1956
|
October
|
Distributor agreement signed with Ismail Bilbeisi & Co. in Jordan
|
|
October
|
Crown displayed in international exhibition in Syria
|
|
|
1965
|
November
|
Beirut Representative Office opened (closed in March 1976)
|
|
1968
|
October
|
First Middle East Conference held in Beirut
|
|
1971
|
April
|
Distributor agreement signed with Bazara in N.Yemen
|
|
1973
|
January
|
Distributor agreement signed with Irtoya in Iran (nationalized in February 1979)
|
|
1979
|
October
|
Single order for 61,000 Crown units received from Iraq Automobile State Enterprise
|
|
1980
|
March
|
Muhammad Ali campaign expanded to Gulf countries, Jordan, and Lebanon
|
|
1983
|
March
|
Proposal for plan to domestically produce four-wheel drive vehicles in Iraq submitted
|
|
March
|
Single order for 45,000 Land Cruisers received from Iranian government
|
|
|
1993
|
July
|
Distributor agreement signed with AST in Syria and transactions commenced
|
|
1994
|
September
|
Trading with Irtoya in Iran resumed after revolution
|
|
2001
|
February
|
Transactions with BUMC in Lebanon commenced
|
|
2002
|
April
|
Distributor agreement signed with CTA in Jordan and transactions commenced
|
Other
|
Year
|
Month
|
Events
|
|---|---|---|
|
1975
|
July
|
Middle East Market Research Project Team dispatched
|
|
1976
|
May
|
Middle East Conference held in Tokyo
|
|
1977
|
December
|
First Middle East Marketing Conference held
|
|
1981
|
September
|
First Middle East Sales Promotion Conference held in Athens
|
|
October
|
Eight Middle Eastern countries conduct first integrated sales campaign
|
|
|
1987
|
June
|
Saudi Arabia/ GCC Marketing Conference held in Tokyo
|
|
2006
|
January
|
Toyota Caucasus established (wholly-owned by Toyota Tsusho Corporation); Caucasus business transferred to TME in January 2009
|
|
2008
|
May
|
Toyota Motor Kazakhstan established
|
|
2009
|
January
|
Caucasus business transferred to TME
|
|
2011
|
January
|
The Middle East & North Africa Representative Office (MENARO) opened
|
