ABIDJAN, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The second Abidjan Auto Show (SAA) opened Thursday for a five-day event in Cote d'Ivoire's economic capital. It brings together national and international players in the automotive sector with the aim of supporting the modernization of the African automotive market, promoting investment and stimulating business opportunities.
Presented as a platform for exchange and networking among manufacturers, dealers, equipment suppliers, spare parts sellers, banking institutions, insurance companies and mobility startups, the show was held at the Abidjan Exhibition Center in the municipality of Port-Bouet. Nearly 2,500 professionals and 30,000 visitors are expected at the venue, which spans more than 20,000 square meters.
In 2019, the first Abidjan Auto Show attracted about 24,000 visitors.
According to SAA General Commissioner Abdul Hussein Beydoun, who also serves as president of the Interprofessional Group for Automobiles, Equipment and Materials (GIPAME), Cote d'Ivoire recorded 28,000 new vehicles imported and sold through GIPAME in 2024, along with an additional 10,000 sold outside the group.
As of the end of July this year, "we have already recorded nearly 20,000 sales through GIPAME and 6,000 sales outside GIPAME," he added, predicting that by the end of the year, Cote d'Ivoire could reach 50,000 imported vehicles. According to Beydoun, the automotive sector in Cote d'Ivoire employs over 6,000 people directly and 10,000 indirectly.
In this context, Ivorian Minister of Transport Amadou Kone said that the SAA "strategically contributes to providing a structured framework and positions Abidjan as an automotive reference in West Africa." ■
