People & Careers

Linglong Names Pradeep Karat Sales Director OTR MEA

Published:

May 19, 2026

Author:

Tom Wilkins

Linglong Tire has appointed Pradeep Karat as Sales Director OTR for the Middle East and Africa region, effective from the beginning of May 2026. Based in Dubai, Karat will lead strategy and sales for Linglong’s specialty tyre business across MEA, as the company seeks wider distributor coverage and growth in off-highway markets.

Building the MEA specialty tyre team

Karat reports to Jeffrey Hughes, Director EMEA, and will work with Linglong’s product and marketing teams to develop regional sales activity. His role covers strategic partnerships, distributor development, business growth and entry into recent markets across the Middle East and Africa.

The appointment follows Linglong’s recent move to strengthen its MEA specialty tyre structure, including the appointment of Sherif Degheidy as Director of Specialty Tyres for the region in February 2026.



Tyre News also recently reported on Linglong’s plan to explore a major export-focused tyre plant at Borg El Arab in Egypt, underlining the manufacturer’s wider interest in MEA production and supply routes.

Three decades in regional tyre sales

Karat joins from Hankook Tire Middle East Africa, where he most recently served as Senior Manager Truck Tires Sales. He has more than 30 years’ experience in sales and marketing roles across premium tyre manufacturers, including Bridgestone, Goodyear and Continental.

That background gives the appointment relevance beyond a standard senior hire. OTR and specialty tyre sales depend heavily on local market knowledge, technical product support, distributor relationships and fleet-level confidence. Linglong’s ability to convert product availability into repeat business will depend on those commercial links, particularly in mining, construction, port, industrial and infrastructure applications.

Karat said he was pleased to join Linglong and take on responsibility for the

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