Dubai, UAE – Automechanika Dubai reached a major milestone with the fifth edition of the Automechanika Dubai Awards 2025. This year, the ceremony celebrated companies, innovators and professionals shaping the future of the automotive aftermarket across the region.
Held at Dubai World Trade Centre, the event recognised excellence across 15 categories. In doing so, it covered leadership, emerging talent, service quality and technologies influencing the future of mobility.
Special Recognition Award honours lifetime road-safety impact
Notably, one of the morning’s standout moments came with the Special Recognition Award. The organisers honoured Retired Major General Mohammed Alzafeen Almuhairi for his long-standing contributions to road safety, accident reconstruction and traffic engineering in the UAE.
Over more than 38 years with Dubai Police, Almuhairi helped shape national road-safety frameworks. At the same time, he introduced advanced accident analysis systems that modernised traffic investigations.
In addition, he led the creation of the region’s first Traffic Prediction Department. This unit focused on analysing and forecasting traffic risks before incidents occurred. As a result, authorities gained earlier insights into potential accident hotspots.
According to official figures, strategies introduced during his tenure contributed to a reported 220% reduction in road fatalities.
Throughout his career, Almuhairi held several senior positions. These included Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Operations, Chairman of the UAE Federal Traffic Council, Director of the General Department of Traffic, and Director of Accident Reconstruction and Traffic Engineering. Collectively, these roles established him as one of the UAE’s leading experts in traffic and highway engineering.
Commenting on the award, Tommy Le, Show Manager for Automechanika Dubai, explained that the Special Recognition Award honours individuals whose influence extends beyond formal responsibilities. Specifically, he highlighted Almuhairi’s vision, leadership and long-term impact on industry standards and collaboration.
Emerging talent and women leaders in focus
Alongside lifetime achievement, the awards also spotlighted the next generation of industry leaders. In particular, the Rising Star in the Automotive Aftermarket Award recognises outstanding professionals under 30.
This year, the honour went to Nehla Sunil Azeez, Director of Operations at ZEEZ International Group, and Mohammed Faraz, Group Wholesales Manager at Al Mana Automotive Group. In both cases, the jury recognised leadership, innovation and measurable impact.
Meanwhile, the Women in the Automotive Aftermarket Award went to Shubhra Shrivastava. As CEO of GaragePlug Inc. and founder of the AutoPulse Leaders Community, she received recognition for her leadership, innovation and entrepreneurial contribution to the aftermarket ecosystem.
Service excellence and innovation take centre stage
Throughout the ceremony, innovation remained a defining theme. For example, Brembo N.V. won Innovative Product of the Year for the Brembo Beyond – Greenance Kit.
Similarly, GRI Tires Pte received Sustainable Product of the Year for ULTIMATE GREEN XT. Additionally, the company earned a Highly Commended mention in the innovation category.
In the safety segment, Brigade Electronics secured Safety Product of the Year for Radar Predict Plus. The system uses predictive collision warnings to strengthen fleet safety.
At the same time, digital transformation featured prominently. Aufinity Group won Digital Product of the Year for its platform optimising aftermarket service efficiency. Meanwhile, Dubai Taxi Company received Digitalisation Project of the Year after integrating AI and IoT across its operations. In contrast, Quantum Brand Protection took Start-Up of the Year for its approach to authentication and supply-chain integrity.
Automechanika Dubai confirms 2026 relocation
Beyond the awards, organisers also announced a major update for exhibitors and visitors. Automechanika Dubai will relocate to the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai in 2026.
Specifically, the next edition will take place from 10 to 12 November 2026. According to organisers, the move will provide additional space and upgraded facilities. Ultimately, this is expected to support further growth and reinforce the event’s role as a leading global platform for the automotive aftermarket.
