Business & Money | Wednesday 1 April, 2015 12:42 am |

Michelin today celebrated its 125th anniversary this year with a special event at Yas Marina Circuit, home of the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix. Marking the special occasion, the trend setting tyre giant welcomed winners, who participated through its Michelin Arabia Facebook page, to experience at first-hand the Michelin story and its rich history.

With its origins in France, Michelin shared its heritage of innovation covering:

Heritage: Its rich history, such as how Michelin is the first company to fit a car with pneumatic tyres, on which modern tyres are based today;
Innovation: The modern and sustainable technology Michelin uses to develop tyres and improve mobility;
Safety: Showcasing the intricate methods applied to every MICHELIN tyre to keep it safe on the road;
Motorsports: Its longstanding history in motorsports, appropriately set at the Yas Marina Circuit, home of the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix

Nour Bouhassoun, Chairman and President of the Michelin Africa - India - Middle East Zone (AIM Zone), said: “It’s a proud moment for all those who are part of the Michelin story. We’ve achieved a remarkable milestone by reaching 125 years, giving us a sense of achievement for everybody involved. We are constantly developing as a company and looking to lead the way forward for the next 125 years.”

Established by the Michelin brothers in Clermont-Ferrand in 1889, the company has long been recognized for its consistent approach to sustainability and improving customer experience. The brand has been recognized for its high standard of quality, having been the first to fit a car with pneumatic tyres - a first of its kind to use compressed air that absorbs impact, providing comfort to travelers at a time when motor vehicles were in their infancy.

Furthering its need for growing excellence, Michelin has created Michelin road guides, Michelin maps and road signs as a part of its commitment to improve and ensure overall ease of mobility.

For Michelin, however, the prime focus has been to use innovation to bring to the front its core value: safety. Allocating 600 million Euros every year to Research and Development, one of Michelin’s many contributions has been the invention of the radial tyre, which is now used by most tyre manufacturers across the world, as its design ensures sturdiness, which has been revolutionary for safety on the roads.

Motorsports have always been a testing ground for Michelin. At the event, some of the world’s most reputable high performance vehicles were present, offering customers an exhilarating opportunity to experience the performance of MICHELIN tyres in demanding conditions.

One of the Michelin Arabic Facebook winners, Mustafa Fahmi Daoud, who attended the event said: “This has been such an eye-opening experience. I never truly grasped just how much tyres alone can make a difference to my driving safety and comfort, until now. To be made aware of all the other areas, that Michelin has been involved in as well, has been an extremely enriching experience”.