Carrier strengthens focus on Middle East

Carrier's value of its prestigious projects in the Middle East totaled $800 million in the last three years. Some of these were the Dubai Media City, Internet City, 11 towers on Business Bay, Dubai Flower Centre, Fairmont, Dusit Dubai and Wafi City.

The new products, to be launched during the Big 5 Show in Dubai, will introduce the region to Carrier's patented and innovative technologies that cut energy costs significantly and are also beneficial to the environment. Carrier was among the first to introduce air conditioning and refrigeration in the region.

The Middle East operations account for a significant share of Carrier Corp.'s global revenues which were $12.5 billion in 2005. The growing scale of its operations reflects Carrier's commitment to the Middle East, which is among the most challenging regions for air conditioning and refrigeration in the world.

Elaborating on Carrier's plans, Aftab Khan, Managing Director, Building Systems & Services, said, "The Middle East has remained an important region of focus for Carrier. The economic boom sweeping most Middle East countries, coupled with a 25% growth in construction, has created huge demand for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R) across all segments, and Carrier is well positioned to cater to this growth. One of the big areas of opportunity for Carrier is cold chain refrigeration, as it is a world leader in these systems."

"Also, Carrier is consolidating operations through a flurry of new initiatives. Carrier is in the process of launching pioneering technologies and products that will change the norms of cooling in the region. These high-performance products will focus on enhancing indoor air quality, energy savings and environmental benefits, hitherto absent in the region," Khan added.

The expansion of its portfolio will not only strengthen Carrier's brand equity in the region, but also add value to the HVAC/R industry. Carrier is also stepping up operations in services and maintenance.

Speaking on Carrier's recent launches, Khan said, "Carrier's spirit of innovation has shaped the growth curve of the HVAC/R industry. Our recent launches - Xpression Health Plus and G3 - have demonstrated that there is much more to air conditioning than the basic function of cooling. Xpression enhances the users' well being by offering multiple health benefits such as reduction in fatigue and allergies. G3 uses a powerful anti-pollutant that filters dust, smog, allergens, smoke, human and animal dander with remarkable ease. Both result in energy savings and are aesthetically designed."

Carrier has manufacturing facilities in 78 countries and a network of research and development centres. Localisation for the Middle East region takes places at our SAMCO facility in Saudi Arabia. SAMCO's in-depth knowledge of the weather conditions in the arid Gulf region allows them to customize products for local markets.

Currently, the Middle East has a production capacity of approximately 500,000 window AC units and 300,000 units for commercial systems.