ABU DHABI, Oct.6th,2007 (WAM) -- Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, Adviser to HH the President on October 2nd raised the curtain of the foundation stone of the first plasterboard and gypsum factory established by Sultan International Holding and Saint Gobain Gypsu at ICAD 1, Industrial City of Abu Dhabi in Mussaffah at a cost of Dhs 184 million.
The project comes within Abu Dhabi Emirate's strategy to diversify its income sources and establishment of advanced and distinguished industries to take Abu Dhabi to the forefront in the field of industry at the regional and world levels. This came at a ceremony attended by a number of high ranking officials, businessmen, industrialists and Arab and foreign investors from UAE and abroad. Construction works will start in November and the production will begin in early 2009, with a capacity of 30 million meters of a wide range of environmentally friendly plasterboard products and systems according to international standards such as BS, DIN, ASTN. In a statement to the press, HE Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan Al Nahayn said that the inauguration of the first plasterboard and gypsum factory in ICAD 1 is a significant project to achieve the vision of HH President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and HE General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces to establish a solid industrial base covering all fields and contribute to achieve the strategy of economic diversification. He reiterated that the factory will constitute an additional asset to Abu Dhabi GDP and the UAE in general. "the factory production will start in early 2009 and 70 per cent would be allocated to local markets, while the remaining 30 per cent will be exported to foreign markets particularly AGCC" he said. He lauded the new vision of Abu Dhabi government regarding the development of the industrial sector which concentrates on the expansion of industrial activities according to an ambitious strategic programme to transform it into a tool to achieve economic diversification and increase the contribution of manufacturing industries in the GDP. Claude Imauven President Saint-Gobain Construction Products asserted the importance of establishment of the first plasterboard and gypsum factory in UAE due to the dire need of the local market and the Gulf region for this type of products to keep abreast of the construction and architectural development in the country. It will also meet the requirements of the comprehensive development witnessed in all sectors, he added. He went on to say that the plasterboard products have occupied a distinguished position in the Gulf region with Saint-Gobain importing about 2 million square meters of plasterboards monthly from various plants across South East Asia. Bader Jeiroudi the managing director of Sultan International Holding said that the establishment of the plasterboard and gypsum factory in ICAD 1 comes within the strategy of Abu Dhabi government to support development projects in the emirate and the UAE, and establishment of modern factories to keep abreast of the architectural and industrial development of the country, and compete with the existing industries in developed countries. He said that the choice of ICAD 1, which is managed by the Higher Corporation for Specialised Economic Zones (HCSEZ), as a preferred location to establish the first factory, is due to the excellent infrastructure and facilities available including large quantities of natural gas and pure water supplies that are essential in the production process. Stephen Ede regional director of Saint-Gobain Gypsum for the Middle East said that they had already started importing the necessary equipment for the construction of the factory in Abu Dhabi after the completion of the ground breaking works which are underway. He added that the first phase of the project consists of the construction on 70,000 sq.m of land in ICAD-1 will include the plasterboard factory as well as the establishment of a training school/academy for contractors and distributors in drywall systems. Phase 2 and 3 of the project will involve the expansion of the initial production of the plasterboard capacity to be followed by the manufacturing of a range of complimentary products such as finished ceilings and ready mix joint filler products, he saidPlasterboard and gypsum factory launched in Abu Dhabi (updated)
October 6, 2007