Alkathiri Holding Company announced on Sunday that its subsidiary Alian Industry Company has commenced trial operations of its 3D concrete panel production plant in Sudair City.  

"100% of the structural works have been completed to build the new plant; machines and production lines have also been installed and tested, and all aspects, operational and non-operational, of all necessary machinery and equipment have been installed and tested," the company said in a stock exchange statement. 

The technology and equipment for making the panel, which comprises of expanded polystyrene enclosed by a double-galvanised steel mesh, together with the training for employees and contractors was provided by Italy's Emmedue under a 14-million-riyal ($3.7 million) agreement signed in October 2019.  

Though the plant was 90 percent complete in November 2020, full completion and commencement of operations was delayed due to the Covid-19 outbreak and suspension of flights affecting the movement of technical personnel between Italy and the Kingdom, the statement filed with Tadawul said. 

In June 2019, the Alkathiri Holding told Tadawul that the 32-million-riyal ($8.5 million) project would be financed 75 percent with a Saudi Industrial Development Fund loan while the company would put up the rest. At full capacity, the plant would have a total production capacity of 1.3 million square metres of panels per year, the statement said.  

In March 2019, Alian Industry had obtained approval of the Ministry of Housing for using the technology in the Ministry's projects. 

(Reporting by SA Kader; Editing by Anoop Menon)  

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com)  

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