Hinduja Group flagship firm Ashok Leyland on Wednesday introduced two passenger bus models - the 70-seater Falcon Super and 26-seater Gazl - in Saudi Arabia.

Manufactured at the company’s Ras Al Khaimah facility in the UAE, Falcon buses will be predominantly marketed to corporate entities. Gazl’s market will be more focused on the hospitality and tourism sector, Ashok Leyland said in a release.

Saudi Arabia already has 3,500 Ashok Leyland buses plying on the roads, it said at the virtual launch, adding that the launch of two buses was done in partnership with the company’s exclusive dealer in Saudi Arabia, Western Auto of Al Ghurair Group.

“Falcon Super and Gazl comes from our state-of-the-art manufacturing base in Ras Al Khaimah, and is made to the specific parameters of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) transportation and mobility stipulations, with in-built advanced technology and safety solutions, for a comfortable journey,” said Nitin Seth, Chief Operating Officer, Ashok Leyland.

The plant has manufactured over 20,000 buses so far, a large share of it plying on the roads of GCC countries, including in the Saudi Arabia, Seth said.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a leading regional organisation, comprises of -- Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait.

“Our plant in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) and increasing market share in GCC countries, will play a key role in achieving our vision to be in the Top 10 Global CV makers,” he added.

“Ashok Leyland has a growing market share for passenger buses in the Saudi Arabia. Currently out of the total fleet of the brand’s vehicles in the Kingdom, 3,000 buses are used by corporate entities in addition to school buses.

“Ashok Leyland’s success in the Kingdom has been bolstered by the reliability of its products, excellent after service provided in time, utility value and cost-efficiency,” said Arturo Lujan, Chief Executive Officer of Western Auto.

Falcon Super is equipped with the world’s first inline fuel injection pump engine and complies to both Euro III and Euro IV markets (with its IEGR technology), the company said.

Both the products share a host of advantages like roll over protection, fire retardant interiors, and many more, it said.

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