Knauf, one of the leading producers of building materials, is setting up its first gypsum board plant in the Middle East at Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone.

The plant will be operated by Knauf which is headquatered in Iphofen, Germany. Once completed, the plant, being built at a cost Dh500 million ($136 million), will produce building materials such as gypsum boards, metal studs, channels, joint compounds, drywall accessories and plasters for construction sites accross the UAE and the Middle East.

The plant capacity will be approximately 40 million sq m of gypsum boards per year.
 
Michael Morgan, general manager of Knau, the group’s Middle East division, said: “We are one of the leading manufacturers of drywall building materials such as gypsum boards, plasters, metal framing components, floor systems and thermal insulation materials.

”Knauf is no longer only about gypsum boards. We have developed into a complete drywall solutions provider, we can supply all of the components and we are implementing this in the Middle East,” Morgan said.

“We offer free technical specification services, on-site support and training for Knauf’s certified drywall systems. Backed by a strong sales network, we also provide theoretical and hands-on training to builders as part of our quality control program.”

Oussama El Omari, CEO of RAK FTZ said: “Knauf-RAK is another significant milestone on the FTZ’s spectacular progress achieved in the past few years. European companies, including the ones from Germany, accounted for 31 per cent of the total registered companies in the FZ. RAK FTZ has witnessed significant economic growth during the last period and looks set to continue this success story.' – TradeArabia News Service