Emirates Neon sets up dedicated road signs company to meet rising regional demand

ABC industries will fabricate specialised signage products, including engineered traffic signs, sign supports, non-ferrous gravity dire castings and overhead gantries. It will also carry out porcelain enamelling, steel vitreous enamelling, polyester power coating and PVDF coating.

The new company employs over 250 qualified engineers and skilled technicians at its 65,000 sq feet, state-of-the-art facility in the UAE. According to General Manager Sathar Thyab Ali, who has over 25 years invaluable experience in this field, the company has already bagged a number of significant orders.

"Massive investment in roads is fuelling the demand for signs throughout the Middle East. We are very confident, that as more roads are built, to meet rapid regional growth in vehicle use, the market will continue to expand strongly," said Rehan Merchant, Executive Director, Emirates Neon.

In Dubai road projects worth US$ 584 million are underway in four different parts of the emirate and three new projects will shortly be started at a total cost of US$ 153 million. Last year, Dubai invested over US$ 2.7 billion in road and traffic improvements and expansion projects.

Elsewhere in the region, Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in roads infrastructure and has signed contracts worth over US$ 400 million for the next three years. Work on a US$1.4bn Saudi highway involving 776.5 km of roads is also underway.

In Oman, two new roads linking the Sultanate with the UAE and Saudi Arabia are under construction in a US$50 million project that will be completed in less than three years. In total, 256 kilometres of new roads will be built.

And in Qatar the construction contract for a US$192 million project to provide an 82 kilometre, four-lane, dual carriageway link between Doha and its premier oil and gas centre, was recently awarded. In addition, work will start next year on the US$1.5 billion Friendship Bridge, linking Qatar and Bahrain by road for the first time.