Gulf Extrusions initiates aggressive expansion program with new plant in Qatar

The expansion initiative will cater to a significant increase in demand for aluminium extrusions in the Middle East, which is expected to surge from 400,000 metric tonnes in 2007 to an average of 450,000 metric tonnes starting this year.

Phase 1 of Gulf Extrusions' new facility will cost $32m to build and will be located near the Qatalum aluminium smelter in Mesaieed. The Qatar plant is also Gulf Extrusions' first outside Jebel Ali and is expected to be operational by mid-2009.

"Gulf Extrusions has initiated an aggressive expansion strategy to cope with the steadily increasing demand for aluminium extrusions. There are now over $300bn worth of construction projects planned with the next five years in the Middle East, and this is expected to strain the current supply of aluminium profiles,"

said Modar Al Mekdad, General Manager, Gulf Extrusions.

"The new facility has been strategically located to cater to high-growth markets, particularly Qatar, UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. We have already secured the construction permit for the new plant and will award the construction package in June," added Al Mekdad.

Qatar's United Development Company has been assigned as the consultant of the project, which will add 10,000 tonnes of extruded products to Gulf Extrusions' annual production capacity. The second phase of the project will likewise involve the construction of another 10,000-tonne facility.

Gulf Extrusions, which is part of the Al Ghurair Group of Companies, produces profiles ranging from architectural sections to components for household items, AC grills and customised products. The company also extrudes products of several European suppliers and companies under agreement. Nearly 70% of Gulf Extrusions' production is supplied to the domestic market to support the enormous construction projects in the UAE. The rest are exported to South East Asia, other GCC countries, Europe and Canada.