WCA January 2018

From the Americas

decree. From what Ms Lindland has observed, the impact of the decree may be influenced by the age of the newly empowered woman. She cited the example of a 24-year-old who pronounced herself entirely content to be driven around by a chauffeur engaged by her father. This attitude is, of course, in vivid contrast to that of Sahar Nassif, whose dream of owning a Ford Mustang convertible now has a good chance of materialising. The ebullient prospective car buyer is 63 years old.  Mr Lawrence of the Detroit Free Press noted in October that the particulars of the driving decree were still to be worked out. At that time a Saudi government committee was studying its implementation vis-à-vis the country’s guardianship laws, whose rules were eased somewhat last year but not fully revoked. Elsewhere in automotive . . .  As Tennessee Gov Bill Haslam was about to embark on a trade mission to Asia that would include a pitch for a new joint Mazda-Toyota assembly plant to be built in his Southern state, he received some welcome news. On 6 th October, Japanese automotive supplier Denso announced plans to invest $1 billion and create more than 1,000 new jobs in its main Tennessee facility to help meet growing demand for electric vehicle parts. The investment comes on top of the $400 million announced by Denso for Maryville in 2015. The company said it is aimed at making the plant its primary location in North America for electrification and safety systems. Erik Schelzig of the Associated Press noted that Tennessee has been readying a sprawling site outside Memphis in hopes of attracting another auto plant. The state is already home to assembly plants by Nissan, General Motors and Volkswagen, along with a number of suppliers. The year 2017 became the first since 1893 in which ten Atlantic storms in a row reached hurricane strength. The areas devastated by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria lost most of their wired infrastructure, together with the wireless service that relies on that infrastructure for backhaul. The following three items examine noteworthy aspects of that privation: unequal recoveries from equally calamitous storms, an innovative emergency “fix” from outside the mainstream, and the break in an 84-month record of job growth in the USA as the result of Hurricane Season 2017. Hurricanes are as distinctive as their names, not least in the matter of connectivity restoration Joan Engebretson is executive editor of Telecompetitor . Writing on 29 th September, with electrical service in Puerto Telecom

Automotive Saudi women celebrate the lifting of a driving ban. So do carmakers Ford, Volkswagen and General Motors “I’m going to buy my dream car, a convertible Mustang, and it’s going to be black and yellow!” This declaration, by Sahar Nassif, a Saudi Iranian women’s activist, to the BBC was reported by Eric D Lawrence of the Detroit Free Press – who probably knows that black-and-yellow Mustangs are not standard-issue for Ford Motor Co. But a tweet from Ford’s Middle East region to the women of Saudi Arabia – “Welcome to the driver’s seat” – suggests Mr Lawrence can be confident that the Detroit automaker will go out of its way to oblige Ms Nassif. The precipitating event was, of course, the 26 th September decree by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz that his countrywomen be allowed to drive themselves instead of having to be ferried everywhere by a male relative or guardian. With no exaggeration, the Free Press called it a momentous announcement for a country “inching toward a wider role for women.” Sue Nigoghossian, a Ford Middle East and Africa spokeswoman, told the Free Press that the tweet, in both English and Arabic, was the company’s way of “celebrating with its Saudi female audience.” And Ford was not alone in broadcasting congratulations-by-Twitter to some 43 per cent of the population of the nation. Messages of support also went out from Volkswagen — “It’s your turn, take over the driver’s seat” — and the General Motors Cadillac brand – “Show them what it means to drive the world forward.” Mr Lawrence commented that endorsing greater freedoms for women is no doubt a can’t-lose proposition for the automakers. But, according to analysts, it also might be a good business bet. (“When Saudi Women Drive, Ford, GM and Other Automakers Could Benefit,” 6 th October) Arresting a drop in light-vehicle sales “The decision to allow women to drive is likely to release fresh demand in the market,” according to IHS Markit and referenced by the Free Press . The London-based market research firm sees an excellent opportunity for the automotive sector that will give it a boost in the short- and long-term. IHS predicted that the change, to take effect in June of this year, could add 60,000 vehicle units per year to the Saudi market from 2019 to 2030. Citing the high cost of living in the kingdom, lower consumer confidence because of depressed oil prices, and lower government subsidies – IHS said that the shift could boost the struggling Saudi light-vehicle market, which has seen those sales drop by 12.2 per cent in 2016 to 706,100 units. Rebecca Lindland, senior director and executive analyst for Kelley Blue Book , who has done transportation research in Saudi Arabia, pointed out that until recently it would have been considered inappropriate to advertise directly to Saudi women. But she cautioned that the new liberality might lead the auto companies to expect too much from the driving

BigStockPhoto.com Photographer: Aispl

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Wire & Cable ASIA – January/February 2018

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