ABU DHABI — Trans Continental Industries LLC, UAE's first facility for manufacturing buses and other additional components, is planning to expand its manufacturing base to mini buses, luxury coaches, and built-to-order buses according to client specifications.
The factory will also manufacture school and passengers buses. The company produces bus bodies as well as a wide range of high quality bus components, including base structure for chassis, doors, seats, lamps, ventilation systems and holds. The project has become one of the ventures implemented under offsets programme in the UAE. The Trans Continental Industries is jointly owned by Advanced Industries of Arabia, through its UAE partner Bin Jabr Group and UK's Vectra Azad. Bin Jabr Group and Vectra Azad hold 51 per cent and 49 per cent stakes respectively in the company. The company established in 2003 at an initial capital of Dh15.5 million, has a manufacturing facility at the Mussafah in Abu Dhabi.
"This project will have a significant impact on the UAE's industrial capabilities and economic diversification drive," said Mohamed Saif Al Mazrouei, CEO of the Offsets. The facility began its production last year with the first UAE-built buses having rolled of the production line. Trans Continental's first customer, Petroleum development of Oman, took delivery of 10 air-conditioned coaches. A second batch of 20 coaches was shipped to customers in Qatar. Saeed bin Jabr Al Suwaidi, President of Bin Jabr Group and Chairman of Transcontinental Industries said that the company has identified markets in the Middle East and Africa, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Mozambique, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya, Mauritius and Seychelles.