Ford MENA and Distributor Partners Elevate Service Excellence at Technician Skills Competition

More than 1,000 technicians from nine Middle East markets took part in Ford Middle East and North Africa’s annual Middle East Technician Skills Competition, with Sumanth Sundara Poojary of Almana Motors in Qatar named regional winner. He will now represent the region at the 2026 Ford International Markets Group Technician Champions Trophy in Thailand.

Ford distributors invested in developing their technical teams and ran local competitions and assessments to identify the nine representatives who progressed to the regional final.

Theory and Practical Tests in Real-World Scenarios

The competition assessed participants’ training, theoretical knowledge and practical capability across three core areas:

• Basic electrical systems.
• Electronic systems.
• Gasoline engine performance.

At the regional final, the finalists completed theory and practical assessments that tested their ability to diagnose and repair vehicles in real-world scenarios. These capabilities support accurate diagnosis and quality repairs, helping distributors deliver a consistent service experience for Ford customers across the region.

Winners from Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia

The top three places went to technicians from three Gulf markets:

Place	Technician	Distributor	Market
Regional winner	Sumanth Sundara Poojary	Almana Motors	Qatar
First runner-up	Jinesh Kulangara	Alghanim Auto	Kuwait
Second runner-up	Shihab Azeez	Al Jazirah Vehicles Agencies	Saudi Arabia

Poojary will represent the Middle East at the 2026 Ford International Markets Group Technician Champions Trophy in Thailand on November 12.

Ford: Every Customer Depends on Skilled Technicians

John Mueller, Head of Service Engineering & Operations, Ford Middle East and North Africa, said: “Every Ford customer in this region depends on skilled technicians to diagnose and repair their vehicle. This competition recognizes the expertise and commitment behind that work, as well as the dedication of our distributor teams to developing and supporting their technicians.”

“The participation of nine markets reflects the depth of technical talent across the region. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to every technician and distributor who took part.”

Sumanth Sundara Poojary, Almana Motors, Qatar, said: “Competing with technicians from across the region pushed me to strengthen my skills. I’m proud to bring this result home for Almana Motors and Qatar, and I’m looking forward to representing the region in Thailand.”

Why It Matters for Car Owners

As modern vehicles rely more and more on complex electronic systems, the skill of the technician at the service centre has become a key factor in how quickly a car is fixed and whether a fault comes back. Competitions like this raise the level of distributor service teams, which customers ultimately feel through more accurate diagnosis and fewer return visits.

The 2026 results highlight the strength of Gulf technical talent within Ford’s distributor network, with attention now turning to Thailand, where Poojary will compete against the best technicians from Ford’s other international markets.

Source: Ford Middle East and North Africa