RAK Chimica plant opens in Ras Al Khaimah

The state- of- the- art chemical manufacturing plant was inaugurated by Sheikh Omar bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of RAK Ruler's Private Affairs Department, in the presence of Dr. Khater Massaad, Advisor to the RAK Crown Prince and CEO of RAK Ceramics, and Dr. Ivano Piccinini, President of Smaltochimica.

The RAK Chimica plant, situated near the RAK Ceramics manufacturing complex, would initially produce around 460 tonnes of printing oils for the ceramic industry per month and plans to manufacture around 400 tonnes of ceramic body preparation chemicals per month in the first year of operations.

Smaltochimica is a world leader in the production of decoration chemical products needed for the ceramic industry. The new venture marks a milestone as it is the first plant to produce tailor- made ceramic chemicals in the region.

Dr. Khater Massaad said that the establishment of RAK Chimica would offer a competitive edge to RAK Ceramics through import substitution of chemicals and also by bringing in advanced technological know-how. "The new venture is in line with our strategy to have clustering of industries related to ceramic production near our manufacturing base," he said.

Dr. Massaad added that RAK Ceramics will have a 51 percent stake in RAK Chimica with Smaltochimica holding the remaining 49 percent. The RAK Chimica plant has been set up with an investment of AED 6 million.

He said that apart from catering to the needs of RAK Ceramics, RAK Chimica would sell its products to other regional ceramic manufacturers also.

Dr. Ivano Piccinini, President of Smaltochimica, said that he was proud to partner with RAK Ceramics which has emerged as the leader in the global ceramic industry. He added that the new chemical plant would boost its production capacity soon.

RAK Chimica plant will prepare the world's finest quality chemical medium for ceramic industries in the fully automated manufacturing facility. RAK Chimica plant is also equipped with a state-of-the art research and quality control laboratory.

RAK Ceramics is the global leader in the manufacturing of ceramic and porcelain tiles and sanitary ware with a global production of over 300,000 sq. mt of tiles and 10,000 pieces of sanitary ware per day. The company exports to more than 135 countries across five continents.