Sodamco Industrial Co. for Construction Chemicals W.L.L. has begun construction of its newest manufacturing plant in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC). Sodamco, a part of the global Saint-Germain Group, is a pioneer in the development and production of building materials. With the signing, Sodamco joins the list of leading international and local companies who have invested in making KAEC Industrial Valley their base of operations. The wholly-owned facility is being built in phase three of the Industrial Valley at KAEC. When operational in 2017, the plant will provide adhesives, slurry covered tiles, ready mixed plastering materials, flooring and concrete repair and other products to meet the growing demand from the building industry in Saudi Arabia and the East African markets. Sodamco currently owns eight plants in the Near East and the Gulf states following its merger with the Saint-Gobain Group, During the cornerstone laying ceremony, Fahd Al-Rasheed, Group CEO and managing director of KAEC, welcomed Sodamco to the list of investors in the economic city and congratulated the company on the decision to make KAEC the base for its expansion plans in the region. Al-Rasheed said: "We are very pleased with this new strategic partnership which proves that the economic city continues to be outstandingly successful in attracting top international companies." "KAEC is the ideal starting point for Sodamco business in the Kingdom because the city has a technologically advanced infrastructure and public services that ranks it among the top economic cities in the world. Other attractions of KAEC include top rate logistical services, quality residential accommodation suitable for income levels and the unrivalled transportation facilities which include the high speed Haramain Railway and King Abdullah Port." He went on to state that KAEC is planned to be a center of non-oil enterprises that will contribute to Saudi Arabia being ranked among the top 20 economies in the world. Sodamco Chairman Saud Al-Sulaiman expressed his happiness at joining the constellation of investors in KAEC, saying: "Signing this agreement is due to our belief that KAEC is the best place for Sodamco to extend its investments in the region which includes other Gulf states, the Arab World and East Africa. "Also, we decided to join other companies in the Industrial Valley due to the quality of industrial opportunities and the size and excellence of the existing projects that have impressed everyone. There is no doubt that KAEC is the ideal investment environment for local, regional and international companies and we believe that the city is well on its way to achieving the desired shift in the Kingdom's economic development." Rayan Qutub, CEO of the Industrial Valley in KAEC, expressed his delight at this new partnership, highlighting the importance of the contract with Sodamco since it is a leader in its field with a solid reputation in regional and international markets. Qutub said: "The integrated transportation facilities will ensure a prosperous future for investors in the Industrial Valley. Most importantly, the value package also includes access to a combination of strategic transportation facilities consisting of a network of modern highways and the Haramain high speed railway, which together enables fast distribution of products to all regions of the Kingdom; and King Abdullah Port, one of the ten largest seaports in the world, which provides access to a market of 250 million consumers in the Middle East and North Africa and the world beyond and currently the infrastructure for more than 25 million square meters is being developed." "To date, out of more than 100 national and international industrial companies that are making the Industrial Valley their main base, 10 companies have begun production and 27 others have commenced construction of their factories," Qutub said. On the other hand, Claud Emovan, Deputy CEO of Saint-Gobain Co. expressed his joy at this cooperation, pointing out that it marks the start of a new era for commercial and industrial expansion which started more than 30 years before in Lebanon and the Near East. He added: "We plan to strengthen our existence in the Saudi and regional markets by shipping from King Abdullah Port to the regional and global markets at the same time." Sodamco Industrial Co. for Construction Chemicals was founded in Lebanon in 1985. The company manufactures and markets construction chemicals that meet the highest standards and fulfill the special requirements related to climate in the Near East and the Gulf Region in particular. With more than 25 years of continuous growth, Sodamco is known today as being the leading company in the field of construction chemicals throughout the region. — SG
