Hertz Rent-a-Car has launched an Arabic language function across its Middle East regional websites, offering 86 million Arabic speaking internet users the option to book Hertz car rentals in their preferred language for the first time.

The Arabic option, which will initially be made available across the local Hertz website domains in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, is the latest in a wave of new investment into the Middle East region over the last 12 months.

“In 2010, Hertz embarked on a three year plan to become the fastest, easiest and most valued car rental company in the world, and a market leader across the Middle East,” Elyes Mrad, vice president, sales & marketing, Hertz International.

“This coincided with the opening of a Hertz Middle East and Africa corporate office in Dubai as our most significant investment into the region.

“Since then, we have continued to invest, with the Arabic language function across all our websites the latest example of our transformation to reengineer the car rental process around the customer.”

Mrad said one of the features of the Hertz investment in the Middle East has been the continued roll out of domestic Hertz website domains, most recently introduced in Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, and Turkey.

Online bookings have since jumped up by 40 per cent. Hertz is aggressively expanding its General Sales Agent (GSA) representatives throughout the region, aimed at boosting outbound car rentals from the Middle East to key markets in Europe and the USA. 

In the last 12 months, Hertz has appointed dedicated GSAs in Kuwait, Southern Africa, Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan. 

In June 2012, Hertz launched a dedicated 24/7 Arabic and English speaking customer call centre, currently operational in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, and to be introduced to other markets as the year progresses.

Mrad added: “The Middle East region is the perfect example of the pace of change happening in the world, and has huge growth potential for Hertz outbound car rentals. Middle East customers have a very high per transaction value, because they typically reserve larger, more premium cars, and book for longer periods.”