Emerson Automation Solutions, a global technology and engineering company, has opened a new manufacturing facility in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, to expand its local manufacturing, project execution and service capabilities.

The new 1,100-sq-m facility located in the First Industrial City will provide engineering, staging, commissioning, operational support, maintenance support, repair, field services and training support to customers in Saudi Arabia's eastern region, said a statement from the company.

It will be a dedicated unit for control and safety systems, reliability technologies and remote automation solutions for wellheads, pipelines and terminals, it stated.

The facility has the capability to manufacture integrated control and safety system components including network devices, workstations, controllers, and I/O modules, and perform simultaneous staging of up to 100 system cabinets, said the statement.

This will help customers to shorten project schedules and efficiently test systems for faster commissioning and start-up, it stated.

On the new facility, David Kraft, the vice president of Emerson Plantweb Solutions Group for the Middle East and Africa, said it is committed to investing in local resources and facilities in the kingdom.

"Strengthening our local manufacturing capabilities will allow us to implement and deliver solutions to our customers more quickly, create new jobs, contribute in the development of the country's manufacturing sector, and further increase our Saudisation, which is currently at 59 per cent,” he noted.

Kraft said: “We take pride that we are leasing this facility from the Prince Sultan Fund for Women Development, a non-profit aiming to empower Saudi women to contribute to the overall national development. This echoes Emerson’s commitment to creating a global workforce that embraces diversity and inclusion.”

In addition to Dammam, Emerson has facilities in Al Khobar, Jubail, and Dhahran Techno Valley
and is building a Technology and Collaboration Center in Dhahran Techno Valley.

To be inaugurated later this year, the Dhahran facility will be home to research and development and training facilities, and will launch collaborative programmes with emerging local talent from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and King Abdullah University of Science & Technology as well as with Saudi Aramco and other local stakeholders.-TradeArabia News Service