TWO state-of-the-art centres have been opened in Iraq for two top truck brands of the Sweden-headquartered AB Volvo Group, taking the number of its truck centres in the Middle East to 48.

AB Volvo’s exclusive distributor in Iraq ZamZam General Trading recently launched the centres in Baghdad and Basra for Volvo Trucks and Mack Trucks. The facilities, which were completed in a record period of 14 months, are believed to be among the most modern of their type in the Middle East.

They have been built and equipped to European standards with a special focus on environment-friendly features.

The Baghdad facility features a central warehouse, a five-bay workshop, a body repair workshop, a paint shop and a technical training centre.

AB Volvo is believed to be the second-largest producer of heavy-duty trucks and transport solutions in the industry. Its trucks business in the region is managed by Volvo Group Trucks Middle East, which is headquartered in Dubai, UAE. A key player in the region, Volvo has, since 2011, set its sights on Iraq in order to tap the country’s potential in the heavy-duty truck segment in the coming years.

Volvo Trucks has more than 2,300 dealerships and workshops in more than 140 countries across the world. Mack Trucks, one of the largest manufacturers of heavy trucks, is well-known for manufacturing vehicles of strength and durability, said a spokesman for AB Volvo. The expansion of these two trucks brands into new markets is a crucial element in Volvo Group Trucks Middle East’s plans to grow its business by 30 per cent in 2015, said the spokesman.

“Last year Volvo Trucks registered a very good double-digit growth and our forecast for 2013 is to keep a stable growth,” he said.

Some of the other truck brands that fall under the umbrella of AB Volvo Group are Renault Trucks, UD Trucks and Eicher.