Hempel Paints, a global supplier of marine, protective and decorative coatings, said the company has opened its flagship showroom at Jubail in Saudi Arabia, as part of its strategic regional expansion plan.

The showroom offers a complete solution for home exteriors and interiors in addition to floor coatings and protective paint, stated the company.

The launch comes at a time when the development of the protective coatings’ segment has witnessed a boost through the oil and gas sector and infrastructural investments, said a top official.

"The showroom is a new addition to our assets to satisfy and meet the industry demand in Jubail, which hosts one of the largest industrial cities and is a home to the Middle East's and world's largest petrochemical companies," remarked Yusuf Al Sayed, the country manager of Hempel, Saudi Arabia.

"Our approach targets an extensive outreach spreading onto the corners of the kingdom to ensure satisfying our consumers’ needs with the increasing demand,"

Global figures show that architectural and decorative as well as protective coatings for end consumers and industry professionals account for around 75 per cent of the total market demand, while this proportion differs from one country to another, he added.

A study conducted by PCI magazine showed the total market for paints and coatings in the Middle East was over 2.09 million tonnes and it is forecasted to rise to more than 2.5 million tonnes by 2018.

This is equivalent to an average annual growth rate of 3.6 per cent, stated Al Sayed.

Hempel, situated in the Eastern Province, has four main branches in Riyadh, Jeddah, Yanbu and Jubail city all supplied from its Jeddah factory located in the Second IndustrialCcity with a production capacity of 32 million litres per year.

The group owns 27 factories, and is present in 80 countries. It also boasts six research and development centres in the region and more than 150 stock points and it has witnessed a strong financial development in the past 10 years.

"We contribute towards the improvement of the paint industry and the development of this sector, through quality products in line with growth plans characterised by opening 56 shops in the Middle East including in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain,” added Al Sayed.-TradeArabia News Service