The first-ever Chery International Skills Contest took place in Bahrain recently, with the kingdom serving as the stage for a regional showcase of automotive excellence, drawing participants from Palestine, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait.
Held at the Ebrahim Khalil Kanoo (EKK) Training Centre in Tubli, the competition brought together top technicians to test their knowledge and hands-on capabilities.
“The Chery group has a lot of brands throughout the GCC and they are now one of the largest international exporters of cars from China,” Ebrahim Khalil Kanoo deputy chief executive Craig Hardie told the GDN.
“In support of its local customers and to give them further confidence in the brand so they know that these products will be well taken care of, we have hosted this competition.
“The cars have a lot of great technology, and to take care of that, we need to make sure that we have very well-trained technicians to make sure our customers’ cars are in the best condition on the road.
“Competitions like this allow us to facilitate that and bring the very best around the GCC to train them and also reward the guys who are doing well, while encouraging healthy competition back home in their own businesses.”
The event marked a key milestone in Chery’s global technical training and development agenda, ahead of the Chery Global Skills Contest to be held in China in October.
Centred on Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and Range-Extended Electric Vehicles (REEVs), the competition highlighted Chery’s focus on innovation in new energy technologies and its commitment to delivering high-quality after-sales service.
Participants were challenged in a series of practical tasks, judged on diagnostic accuracy, safety protocols in high-voltage systems, maintenance standards and overall professionalism.
In addition to the competitive aspect, the event fostered collaboration and knowledge sharing among technicians.
“Chery has been in the GCC for about 20 years, and based on our feedback from our customers, we realised that they care deeply about the after-sales experience, including skills and efficiency,” Chery regional general manager Tim Zhang added.
“Last year, we built a warehouse in the UAE to cover the region and provide spare parts easily.
“And with the upcoming launch of a lot of new models, especially in the new energy class, we need to have more training for technicians.
“So we discussed with (EKK managing director) Talal Kanoo the possibility of bringing all the technicians here, and provide training from the Chinese team.
“We have worked together with EKK for 20 years, as a family, and we wanted to have more co-operation, beyond sales, so Bahrain was the perfect place for this competition.”
Participants were commended during the opening ceremony, with remarks delivered by Mr Kanoo and Mr Zhang.
Both highlighted the importance of continuous learning and professional development in a fast-evolving automotive landscape.
The contest concluded with the announcement of winners across brand categories.
Ra’fat Al Doghmi (Jordan) was crowned champion, followed by Marjoe Manatad (Qatar) as first runner-up and Ahmed Zaki (Bahrain) as second runner-up.
The overall winner will go on to represent the Middle East at the global finals in China.
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