Hyundai Motor Middle East and Africa CEO to lead AAAM as Africa moves towards a more connected and integrated automotive industry
Dubai, UAE – August 25, 2026: Tarek Mosaad, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Middle East and Africa, has been elected President of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM), taking on the leadership role at a pivotal time for the continent’s rapidly evolving automotive sector.
An Egyptian national with more than two decades of international leadership experience, Mosaad became the first Arab executive to lead Hyundai Motor Company’s Middle East and Africa Regional Headquarters in January 2026. In his current role, he oversees Hyundai’s operations across the Middle East and Africa, including markets where the company is expanding its industrial and manufacturing footprint.
His appointment as President of AAAM comes as Africa’s automotive industry enters a new phase of regional cooperation and integration. The African Continental Free Trade Area, combined with national automotive policies being introduced across key markets, is creating new opportunities for individual manufacturing and assembly hubs to become part of a more connected continental automotive ecosystem.
Mosaad said that unlocking Africa’s full automotive potential will require greater cooperation between countries, manufacturers, policymakers and regional institutions.
“No single market can realize Africa’s automotive potential alone,” Mosaad said. “We need an interconnected ecosystem where countries contribute according to their strengths — vehicle assembly, components, raw materials, technology and skills. That integration is what creates the scale to attract investment and move value creation onto the continent.”
As President of AAAM, Mosaad has identified three key priorities for his leadership. The first is strengthening policy consistency across the continent by working with governments to establish long-term and predictable automotive frameworks that provide manufacturers with the confidence needed to make significant investments.
The second priority focuses on developing Africa’s automotive component and supplier base. Building stronger local supply chains will play a crucial role in increasing the value retained within African economies, creating skilled employment opportunities and improving the competitiveness of vehicles produced on the continent.
Regional integration forms the third pillar of Mosaad’s agenda. By addressing barriers that limit the movement of vehicles, components, skills and investment between African markets, the industry can benefit from greater scale and stronger collaboration across borders.
The strategy builds on the progress already being made in North and Southern Africa, where countries including Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and South Africa have advanced automotive localization initiatives and attracted new investment into regional and global supply chains.
José Muñoz, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company, said Mosaad’s election reflects both his leadership experience and his understanding of the opportunities emerging across the African continent.
“Tarek’s election reflects both his leadership and his understanding of the opportunities across Africa,” Muñoz said. “Collaboration between policymakers, manufacturers and regional institutions will be essential to unlocking the continent’s long-term potential, and Tarek’s regional perspective will make an important contribution to that mission.”
For Mosaad, Africa’s automotive opportunity extends beyond vehicle assembly. He believes the industry has the potential to support long-term economic development by building local capabilities, strengthening supply networks and creating a new generation of skilled jobs.
“The opportunity extends well beyond assembling vehicles,” Mosaad added. “It is about building capabilities, developing suppliers, creating skilled jobs and establishing an industry that can grow with the continent for decades. That is what delivers real economic value for Africa.”
With Africa’s automotive sector increasingly moving towards greater integration, Mosaad’s presidency of AAAM is expected to support continued dialogue between governments, manufacturers and regional stakeholders, helping create the conditions for a more competitive, sustainable and interconnected automotive industry across the continent.
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