AGC and Obeikan Glass have signed a letter of intent to establish a solar control glass coating joint venture in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia.
AGC has announced that its consolidated subsidiary AGC Glass Europe (AGEU) has signed a letter of intent with Obeikan Glass Company (Head Office: Saudi Arabia; Chairman: Fahad Obeikan), a Saudi Arabian glass manufacturer, to establish a solar control glass coating joint venture. The processing line for temperable solar control glass coating will be built in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, where Obeikan Glass already operates the largest float glass plant in the Gulf region. Operations are scheduled to start in early 2016. Obeikan Glass is owned by Saudi conglomerates Obeikan Investment Group and Saudi Advanced Industries Company.
In recent years, the architectural glass market in the Middle East has grown at an annual rate of about 4%. In particular, demand is increasing for solar control glass that can block sunlight and significantly improve the energy-saving performance of buildings and its growth rate is estimated to exceed the market growth rate. As a result, demand for high-performance architectural glass is projected to rise continuously in the region. “Having a float glass plant with a glass coating plant downstream from it on the same site will help us to keep tight control of quality, to optimize the production and logistics costs, and to achieve higher margins,” explains Abdallah Obeikan, CEO of Obeikan Investment Group.
“This landmark agreement comes at a time when the Middle East glass market is setting itself for major expansion to meet demand in the next decade,” says Valerie Adamson, Exhibition Manager, Gulf Glass 2015.
“This is why with over a year to go until the next Gulf Glass exhibition, we have already seen some 50% of the floorspace optioned to exhibitors” she adds.
Gulf Glass 2015 takes place from 14-16 September 2015, at the Dubai World Trade Centre. For more information, and stand booking at the event, visit www.glassinthegulf.com, or email the team directly, via Valerie@bowheadmedia.com.