CEO of Al Masaood Automobiles
Family Business & Future Mobility Vehicle Expert
With over 40 years of experience in the automotive industry, Irfan Tansel began his journey as an auto mechanic apprentice and now leads one of the UAE’s most prominent automotive companies as CEO of Al Masaood Automobiles. Recognized as one of Forbes Middle East’s Top 100 CEOs for five consecutive years, he has also earned titles such as Visionary of the Year (Entrepreneur Middle East) and CEO of the Year (CEO Magazine). Under his leadership, the company has achieved record-breaking milestones in sales, aftersales, and customer experience, while earning numerous global awards including the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award, Nissan Global Award, INFINITI Global Award, and more.
A pioneer in digital transformation, Irfan led the launch of the region’s first Nissan e-commerce car-buying platform and continues to drive innovation through customer-centric strategies and future-ready solutions. His thought leadership on mobility, electrification, and disruption is regularly featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, CNBC, Arabian Business, Inc. Arabia, and other global platforms, and he is passionate about mentoring the next generation of automotive leaders.
FORBES: ‘TOP 100 CEOS in the Middle east’ 2025
Irfan Tansel was named one of the ‘Top 100 CEOs in the Middle East’ by Forbes Middle East for five consecutive years. Irfan has over 40 years of experience spanning three continents. Al Masaood Automobiles is the main distributor for Nissan, INFINITI and Renault in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and the Western Region. Under Tansel’s leadership, Al Masaood won the Best Global Dealer by Nissan several times, and achieved multiple global recognitions by INFINITI and Renault. In 2024, Nissan’s Global President & CEO, Makoto Uchida, officially recognized the Al Masaood Automobiles Nissan Service Centre in Abu Dhabi as Nissan’s largest service center in the world. Al Masaood Automobiles was the first Nissan Dealership in the region to launch an e-commerce car-buying website with Nissan. In 2025 the company sold the highest number of cars since its inception, with a total market share of more than 40% in Abu Dhabi.
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ARABIAN bUSINESS: ‘GREATEST CEOs of 2024’
In his role as CEO of Al Masaood Automobiles, Tansel has steered the company to numerous milestones and accolades. Under his leadership, the company not only clinched the esteemed Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award 2023 but also continued its tradition of excellence with multiple editions of the Nissan Global Dealer Award, Global Nissan Aftersales Award, the INFINITI Global Award, Renault Global P.A.R.I.S. Award and many more. Tansel’s vision for Al Masaood Automobiles is grounded in forward-thinking, innovation-driven, and customer-centric principles, which he uses to carefully craft tailored strategies designed to keep the company at the forefront of a competitive market, prepared for any challenges that may arise.
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Driving the future: Irfan Tansel on why innovation can’t slow down
Leadership, to me, has always been about responsibility… to the people you work with, the customers you serve, and the decisions you make when the pressure is on. In my conversation with Inc. Arabia, I spoke about my journey with Al Masaood Automobiles and the lessons learned through years of change. How building trust is central to long-term success, and why transformation only works when it becomes part of the culture.
New tools and ways of working matter, but they deliver real impact only when they are grounded in people and their needs. The future belongs to those who combine experience with curiosity, discipline, and an openness to change.
READ MORE in my cover story with Inc. Arabia.
Arabian Business Leadership Summit
The automotive industry – much like several others – is going through a period of unprecedented evolution. Driven by technological disruption and changing consumer behaviour, this creates an undeniable need for innovation, expanding portfolios, and personalization.
So, how does an automotive business in today’s industry maintain its competitive edge?
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Latest Press
Being recognised again as one of Forbes Middle East’s Top 100 CEOs is an honour and a moment of reflection for me.
Every leader’s journey begins with small steps and a willingness to learn.
Leadership to me is about people, purpose, and embracing change.
We talk a lot about innovation in our industry, but the real challenge is using it to meaningfully improve and add value to how we serve our customers.
Thank you Truck and Fleet Middle East East team for the thoughtful conversation in the magazine's latest cover story.
As tariff battles reshape global automotive trade, the Middle East is emerging as one of the few markets turning disruption into opportunity, particularly for consumers.
I recently had the pleasure of joining the AB Majlis Podcast by Arabian Business to share my thoughts on the transformation of the UAE’s automotive landscape.
My podcast episode with David Dunn for the The National News is now live.
Reflecting on Al Masaood Automobiles’ recent Falcon 2.0 gathering - The Summit – I am immensely proud of the team spirit and resilience of my Falcons.
Innovation is the future. To stay ahead in the race – regardless of your industry, embracing innovation and diversification is key.