Motor City

Antal International

Dubai, UAE

Reach out to us

hilton.ralph@antal.com
+971 585 605 063
Turin Boulevard, Motor City, Dubai

Antal Motor City — Automotive Recruitment & Executive Search, Dubai

Antal Motor City is a specialist automotive recruitment and executive search consultancy based in Dubai. We work exclusively within the automotive and mobility sector, serving clients across the UAE and the wider GCC, with selected search assignments across MENA and Africa.

Our roots are in automotive, our network is in automotive, and our expertise is in automotive. We bring firsthand industry experience, extensive sector networks, and a consultative approach that no generalist agency can replicate.

Automotive is what we do, and we do it well.

Industry Experience, Not Just Recruitment Experience

We understand the commercial pressures, the operational realities, and the talent dynamics of this industry because we have lived them. That perspective informs every search we undertake.

Who are We

Led by automotive people, backed by a global recruitment network

Antal Motor City is led by two Partners, Hilton Ralph and Jennifer Ralph.

Hilton Ralph has spent more than forty years in the automotive industry across Southern Africa and the UAE, with importers and dealer groups representing Bentley, Lamborghini, Citroën, Opel, Volkswagen, Audi and Toyota. He was the Regional Director for Bentley and Lamborghini and the Regional General Manager for Citroën in South Africa. Hilton leads the executive search practice across the GCC.

Jennifer Ralph spent her automotive career in marketing and general management, working in BMW's marketing division. At Antal Motor City, she leads recruitment across marketing, brand, product and customer experience.

Both spent their careers inside the automotive industry rather than recruiting for it from the outside. It is the reason the first conversation about a role tends to be shorter than clients expect.

Antal Motor City is the UAE automotive practice of Antal International, a recruitment network with offices in more than 35 countries. When a search needs Europe, India or South Africa, there are colleagues on the ground there. The mandate still runs from Dubai, and a Partner still runs it.

A clear, disciplined approach to executive search and recruitment.

How to Search works

Every assignment gets the same four things, whatever the level.

A proper brief

Not the job description, but the numbers behind it: the reporting line, the reason the seat is open and the honest account of what went wrong last time.

A shortlist you can act on

Candidates assessed against that brief in writing, not reformatted CVs. We would rather send three we believe in than six that fill a page.

An offer that lands

Notice periods here run long, visa transfer takes time and end-of-service settlements get contentious. We manage the exit as carefully as the approach, because that is the stage where offers fall over.

A straight answer

If the brief cannot be met at the salary offered or in the time available, you will hear it from us early. We would rather return a mandate than run a search we cannot deliver.

Senior-level retained assignments

At senior level it goes further. A retained assignment starts from a mapped view of the segment rather than a search of the people already visible.

Approaches are made by a Partner, confidentially, and nothing is passed to a researcher.

We will not pad a shortlist to make up the numbers. If the brief cannot be met at the salary offered or in the time available, you will hear it from us early, and we would rather return a mandate than run a search we cannot deliver.

WHAT AUTOMOTIVE ROLES WE RECRUIT

Antal Motor City recruits across nine disciplines at management level and above, plus retained executive search.

Sales Managers, Showroom Managers, Brand Managers, Sales Directors, General Managers and Dealer Principals, across volume, premium and luxury franchises. The profile that performs in volume rarely transfers to luxury. We hire for the difference.

Used Car Managers, Pre-Owned Sales Managers, Vehicle Buyers, Remarketing Managers and Group Used Vehicle Directors. Buying discipline and reconditioning judgement decide whether a used operation makes money, so that is what we test for.

Service Managers, Aftersales Directors, Workshop Managers, Master Technicians and Diagnostic Specialists, including EV and hybrid certification. These are the hardest roles in the sector to fill, and the ones where a poor hire shows in the numbers fastest.

Parts Managers, Group Parts Directors, Supply Chain Managers and Logistics leaders, across dealer groups, importers and distribution operations. Stock accuracy and supplier terms are where we probe.

Senior technical, product, commercial and leadership roles across electric and new-energy vehicles, including the Chinese EV brands now entering the Gulf in volume. Half these job titles did not exist five years ago, so we assess capability rather than looking for a CV that already matches.

Marketing Managers, Brand Managers, Marketing Directors, Customer Experience Managers and Chief Marketing Officers, across retail and manufacturer organisations.

F&I Managers, Business Managers and F&I leadership. Product knowledge, compliance and penetration rates are all tested before you meet anyone.

Finance Managers, Financial Controllers, Treasury Managers, Finance Directors and Chief Financial Officers. We understand that inventory funding, manufacturer bonuses, and warranty claims are where dealerships win or lose profit. An accountant arriving from another sector takes time to learn them.

Regional and country leadership for manufacturers and national sales companies. Longer decision chains, matrixed reporting, and candidates who are almost never visible on a job board.

Automotive Recruitment That Works | UAE & Middle East

As specialist automotive headhunters in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, across the UAE and the Middle East, we understand your world—from the complexity of EV technology transitions to the demanding expectations of luxury brand customers, from after-sales service excellence to the pressure of reducing costly dealership turnover.

Unlike standard agencies, we don't just recruit; we understand the intricacies of your industry. We know your pain points. We recognise the rapid evolution of automotive technology, mobility solutions, and consumer expectations.

“Within 4 weeks, Antal Motor City found three senior automotive professionals we'd been struggling to source internally for months. Their understanding of technical requirements and cultural fit was exceptional.”
— HR Director, Premium Automotive Dealership Group, Dubai.

Executive search and manager-level recruitment in the UAE and GCC

Antal Motor City recruits at the business and department manager level and above, across sales, aftersales, finance, technical, and marketing, through to general manager, dealer principal, director, and board appointments in the UAE and the wider GCC.

How we are engaged depends on the level. Senior and confidential appointments are run on a retained, exclusive basis. Manager and specialist roles are worked on either a contingency or an exclusive basis, and we will tell you which we think fits the brief.

At the top end of the candidate range, the market is small enough to count. Very few of those in it are looking. Most are several years into a package built around housing, schooling and an end-of-service accrual, and a change has to be worth unpicking all of it. These candidates do not respond to adverts. Reaching them requires original research, and then a reason to listen.

That is what a retained search buys. Approaches at that level are made by a Partner. Nothing is passed to a researcher.

A Recruitment Partner That Understands Your Business

Automotive Recruitment Experts At Antal Motor City, we specialise in automotive hiring with deep industry knowledge and regional insight. From luxury to mainstream brands, EVs to after-sales, we understand the sector’s unique demands.
Strategic Talent for a Shifting Market As mobility evolves, we source professionals who lead innovation, embrace electrification, and shape the future of the automotive industry across the UAE and the Middle East.
Exclusive Talent Network Access top-tier, passive candidates in sales leadership, technical roles, and EV expertise—professionals who aren’t actively job hunting but open to the right opportunity.
Comprehensive Operational Understanding We cover every facet of automotive operations, including sales, aftersales, manufacturing, and executive leadership.

Whether you're expanding EV capabilities, strengthening after-sales, or hiring for senior leadership, we deliver candidates who drive results.

Partner with us to turn hiring challenges into growth opportunities.

Get in touch with our experts.

Recent appointments

Our contracts do not allow us to name clients, so these appointments are described rather than named.

Group Treasurer, Abu Dhabi

Group Aftersales Director, multi-franchise Tier two group, UAE

Head of Electric Vehicle Programmes, national sales company, GCC

Group Used Vehicle Director, luxury franchise holder, Dubai

Financial Director, vehicle importer, Northern Emirates

Brand and Marketing Director, new electric vehicle brand, UAE

Frequently asked questions about automotive recruitment

Antal Motor City is a specialist automotive recruitment and executive search consultancy in Dubai. Antal Motor City recruits management, leadership and senior specialist talent across every core discipline of automotive and mobility for dealer groups, importers, OEMs and national sales companies.

Antal Motor City is based in Motor City, Dubai, in the district around Dubai Autodrome. The office can be contacted on +971 585 605 063.

Antal Motor City covers Dubai and the wider UAE, with recruitment across the GCC including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. Selected assignments are also taken across MENA and Africa. Antal International's network reaches candidates in more than 35 countries.

Antal Motor City recruits from business and department manager level upward, across nine core disciplines. Typical appointments include Service Manager, Parts Manager, Used Car Manager, Marketing Manager, Financial Controller, Aftersales Director, Group Parts Director, General Manager, Dealer Principal and Chief Financial Officer.

Plan on three to six months from brief to first day. The search and shortlist can be shorter, but notice periods commonly run to three months and sometimes longer. Visa transfer can add further time.

Antal Motor City works on both. Senior and confidential appointments are run on a retained, exclusive basis. Manager and specialist roles are worked on either a contingency or exclusive basis, and Antal Motor City will tell you which approach fits the brief.

Yes. Antal Motor City recruits senior technical, product, commercial and leadership roles across electric and new-energy vehicles. This includes work with Chinese EV brands and recent assignments for senior EV technicians, EV sales leadership and programme management.

A generalist recruiter starts with the job description. A specialist automotive recruiter knows the segment, salary bands, people in the seats and the reasons candidates move. Antal Motor City brings that sector knowledge to the search, with a Partner who has senior automotive industry experience.

Send the role to Antal Motor City or call +971 585 605 063. Antal Motor City will give you an honest read on the brief and the market before starting the search.

Meet the Team

Hilton Ralph

Managing Partner