Sika, a global leader in chemicals and building materials, has officially inaugurated its state-of-the-art production facility along with the offices in Dubai as part of its regional expansion strategy.

With 240,000-tonne annual production capacity, the new facility will constitute the basis for the production of high-performance concrete admixtures and will play a strategic role as a key sales and distribution center for the region, said a statement from the Swiss company.

The factory, located at Dubai Industrial Park, one of the largest industrial hubs in the emirate and a member of Tecom Group, has been built at a total investment of around Dh40 million ($10.8 million).

It is also designed to ensure a high level of productivity and quality consistency through a fully automated system and an advanced technical training centre.

The official opening ceremony was held in the presence of senior company officials including Ivo Schädler, the regional manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Abdullaziz Zaidan, the chairman of Sika (Arabia), Saud Abu Al Shawareb, the managing director of Dubai Industrial Park and Chris Watts, Consul General of Switzerland.

Schädler said: "Sika’s new facility in Dubai Industrial Park is constituted as our strategic production, distribution, and sales centre for the entire GCC area, creating the ideal conditions for further developing our growth potential in these booming construction markets."

"With the construction industry benefiting from growing tourism as well as the UAE’s development into a regional logistics center and a hub for renewable energies and green technologies along with Dubai hosting Expo 2020, we foresee a great growth potential for our operations in UAE and region," he noted.

"Sika’s 2020 growth target and strategy fall well in line with UAE’s vision and plans that will provide a further boost to the construction sector with estimates of growth at close to 7 per cent for the next few years," he added.

Welcoming the new Sika facility, Al Shawareb said Dubai Industrial Park (DI) was a business hub for an ever-growing region, boosted by the growth in key industries, and a strategic geographical location.

"As one of the largest industrial hubs in Dubai with a sole objective of fast-tracking growth and expansion of the industrial sector in the UAE, we are committed to driving economic growth and ensuring a progressive ecosystem for the manufacturing sector. We are thrilled to be the first choice for large manufacturing brands like Sika seeking to establish and grow operations in the UAE and region," he noted.

Sika has grouped together and greatly expanded its mortar and concrete admixtures production, warehouse capacity, Technical training centre and offices at the new location in Dubai Industrial Park. Material streams, logistics, and the cost structure will thus be optimized, and the course set for further growth, he added.

Sika General Manager (UAE) Joseph Nabih said the new facility was an additional milestone towards its growth which would further accelerate and maintain its leadership position in the market.

"Sika’s state-of-the-art facility will enable us to continue developing and introducing the latest innovative technologies into the UAE market as well as act as a hub for serving neighboring GCC markets," he noted.

"The new local polymer production facility will help to significantly cut costs and make it possible to supply customers not only in the UAE but all across the GCC with customized concrete admixtures for demanding construction projects," he added.

Swiss group Sika is a specialty chemicals and building materials company with a leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing and protecting in the building sector and motor vehicle industry.

It has subsidiaries in 101 countries around the world and manufactures in over 200 factories. It boasts more than 18,000 employees generating annual sales of $6.25 billion.-TradeArabia News Service