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Jordan Lafarge ups prices
Jordan Lafarge Cement Factories Co. has increased its pre-tax sale price of cement by JD1.2 per tonne, The Jordan Times has reported. The company has attributed the decision to last Thursday's update of industrial fuel prices, which increased by 4.5% and for diesel by 3.5%.
Qatar aims for 'green' deserts
Qatar is in a bid to to turn deserts into 'green' lands by converting them into pastoral space and dry lands into arable zones, The Peninsula has reported. Qatar's Ministry of Environment has recently inked an agreement with the Damascus-based Arab Centre for the Studies of Arid Zone and Dry Lands (ACSAD) to help Qatar make this project a reality. ACSAD is a specialised Arab organisation which works on developing scientific agricultural research in arid and semi-arid areas. ACSAD will also support Qatar to develop production of livestock, set up gene banks, re-charging of Qatar's fast depleting groundwater resources and growing multi-purpose drought-resistant plants.
Afico implements planning software
Saudi Arabia-based Arabian Fiberglass Insulation Co. (AFICO), a Zamil Industrial Investment Company, has announced the implementation of an advanced Wonderware Performance Software solution at its primary manufacturing facility in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The advanced system provides strategic planning and monitoring tools that allow management to accurately monitor the industrial process for efficiency, productivity and effectiveness in real time, and then make immediate adjustments, AFICO has said.
Torah Cement H1 profits up
Egypt's Torah Cement has reported an 8.6% rise in net profit to EGP178.3m ($32.45m) in the first six months of 2009, compared to EGP164.3m in the same period of 2008, Reuters has reported. Torah Cement is a subsidiary of Suez Cement, which is itself majority-owned by Italy's Italcementi.
Kraft Bahrain cuts water wastage
Kraft Foods has said its cheese and beverage plant in Bahrain has managed to reduce water usage by 33% by overhauling the cleaning process. As part of its overall sustainability goals, the snack giant has managed to save three billion gallons of water by adopting new manufacturing and cleaning methods throughout its global plants network.
Voltas moots more MidEast expansion
Ishaat Hussain, Chairman of India's Voltas, air-conditioner manufacturer and services company, has said the firm is seriously contemplating setting up a subsidiary company in Saudi Arabia, after its Abu Dhabi factory has commenced operations. Places such as Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia are better placed to ride the global downturn and large-scale projects to develop their national economies continue to be undertaken, Hussain said at the company's AGM in Mumbai.
Emal output to top 700,000 tons by Q4 2010
Duncan Hedditch, CEO of Emirates Aluminium (Emal) has said that the firm plans to raise output at a giant new aluminium plant to over 700,000 tons by the end of 2010, Reuters has reported. Emal is building what would eventually be the largest single aluminium plant in the world with a capacity of 1.4 million tons, expected to come fully online in 2013-2014. The first phase is due to start early next year, Hedditch has said.
Egypt Lecico posts 24% H1 profit drop
Egyptian ceramic products firm Lecico has posted a net income of EGP52m ($9.46m) for the first half of 2009, a 24% decline on the same period in 2008, Reuters has reported. Net income for the first six months of 2008 was EGP68m ($12.38m), while net sales stood at EGP515m in the six months to end-June, compared to EGP552m in the same period a year earlier, the company has said. Lecico has two factories in Egypt and one each in Lebanon and France.
Aabar invests in Algeria car plants
Abu Dhabi-based Aabar Investments, a public joint stock company, has announced the signing of an agreement with the Algerian government to develop a network of vehicle and engine manufacturing plants in ventures with five German companies including MAN Ferrostaal, Daimler AG, Deutz AG, MTU Aero Engines Holding AG, Rheinmetall, Bloomberg has reported. The group intends to assemble as many as 10,000 cars and trucks a year. MAN Ferrostaal will lead the group, while some of the companies will provide licenses and intellectual property to the venture, Aabar has said. Assembly is expected to start in 2010 after plants are built or modernized in Tiaret, Ain Smara and Oued Hamimine.
Gulf Holding to up cement production
Qatar's Gulf Holding Co. has said that it will increase its cement production from the current 3,500 tonnes per day to 5,000 tonnes per day with its new plant coming online by the end of this year, the Gulf Times has reported. The country's domestic consumption of cement is estimated to be 25,000 tonnes to 30,000 tonnes a day, the company has said. 'There are several giant real estate projects on the list. With such projects, there would be no drop at all in the local demand for cement,' Dr. Omar Yaji, the company's general manager has said.
Sabic signs acrylic glass JV
Saudi Basic Industries (Sabic) is entering a joint venture with Japan's Mitsubishi Rayon to produce material for acrylic glass. With an annual output capacity of 200,000 to 250,000 tonnes, the Saudi-based factory is expected to become one of the largest for producing methyl methacrylate. Prior to establishing the joint venture, Sabic is expected to take a stake of between 10% and 20% in Lucite International, owned by Mitsubishi Rayon, reported Reuters. Acrylic glass is used in various consumer electronics and auto parts.
SEPC starts LDPE plant
Saudi Ethylene and Polyethylene (SEPC), a joint venture between LyondellBasell Industries and Tasnee & Sahara Petrochemical, has said it has started up its low density polyethylene (LDPE) plant based on the Lupotech T process technology. Located in Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia, the plant has production rates of up to 57 metric tonnes per hour, which equates to an annual capacity of 450 KT, making it the largest facility of its kind in the world.
Zayani signs leasing deal with Electricity & Water Authority
Zayani Leasing, a Saudi Arabia-based leasing company, has signed an exclusive lease contract with the Electricity and Water Authority for 11 Mitsubishi forklifts and three 2.5 ton Mitsubishi RB25N Reach Truck Warehouse Trucks, two 1.5 ton FD15NT and 5.0 ton FD50K Diesel Forklifts each and four 3.0 ton FD30NT Diesel Forklifts. Zayani Leasing handle vehicle management, including checks, repairs and maintenance, warranties and administration, the firm said.
Gypsemna to produce plasterboard
Gypsemna Company, owned by UAE's Jamal Al Ghurair Group has announced the successful commissioning of a plasterboard plant in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi. The plant is expected with an annual production capacity of 50 million sqm. of various types of plasterboards to serve the region. The company said its plant has the capacity to produce plasterboards for a wide range of dimensions and sizes, i.e. 8 mm to 25 mm thick, 600 to 1350 mm wide and 1800 mm to 4500 mm in length.
FIHC buys 27,000 tonnes of edible oils
Egypt's state-owned Food Industries Holding (FIHC) has bought 12,000 tonnes of sunflower oil from Glencore at the price of $794.85 a tonne, on a cost and freight basis for arrival in September, Reuters has reported. FIHC has also bought 7,000 tonnes of soy oil from the National Vegetable Oil and 8,000 tons of soy oil from Alex Seeds both for the price of EGP4,600 ($831) a tonne.
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