RAK Ceramics, the world's largest ceramic manufacturer, has announced that the $700 million conglomerate's annual production capacity now exceeds 115 million sq  m.

The group has 10 modern tile plants and two sanitaryware plants in Ras Al Khaimah, and international manufacturing subsidiaries in China, Bangladesh, Sudan, India and Iran.

RAK Ceramics also revealed that it has consolidated its subsidiaries in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Georgia, France, UK and Australia to further boost its export capacity as it now serves key markets in over 135 countries, delivering premium-quality ceramic tiles, Gres Porcellanato, and a wide range of sanitaryware models.

RAK Ceramics said its tile sales in the UAE market exceeded $549 million in 2008, representing a 29 per cent increase from the previous year and helping push global sales to more than $717 million. RAK Ceramics has a daily production rate of 225,000 sq m of tiles in its UAE plant, with the China facility producing 34,000 sq m daily; the plants in Bangladesh, Sudan and Iran producing 20,000 sq m daily, and the Indian facility producing 10,000 sq m of tiles daily.

Dr. Khater Massaad, CEO, RAK Ceramics said: 'We are pleased to reach a new milestone in the ceramic industry as we continue to satisfy the demand of our growing international clientele. One of the key factors of RAK Ceramics' success is our ability to align the growth of our brand with the sustained growth of the company's global market share. We look forward to continue setting new benchmarks in quality and design in line with our strong commitment to fulfil our brand promise as an innovative trend setter in the industry.' – TradeArabia News Service