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Manufacturing

Manufacturing news from the Middle East. All the important stories, exclusive interviews, plus authoritative opinion and analysis

Mays, the Omani carmaker, will soon deliver up to 500 of its new electric car

First batch of Omani built EVs ready for distribution

Omani electric vehicle manufacturer Mays Motors has started delivery of its first cars to local companies. The Mays Alive car is said to have a range of 610 kilometres on a single charge, which is longer than most EVs, and retails at OMR11,000 ($28,500) for companies and OMR12,000 ($31,000) for individuals.  The car features AI […]

Fertiglobe, Mena's largest nitrogen fertiliser producer, expects market fundamentals for nitrogen to remain firm in the near term

Fertiglobe profit drops as topline falls 17% in 2024

Abu Dhabi-listed Fertiglobe, the largest nitrogen fertiliser producer in the Middle East and North Africa, said that year-on-year net profit in 2024 dropped by over a half on lower revenues. Net earnings fell to $160 million last year compared to $349 million in 2023, as revenues fell 17 percent to $2 billion, Fertiglobe said. Revenue for […]

Giorgio Marsiaj, founder president and CEO of Sabelt and Jim DeLuca, CEO of Ceer at the deal signing ceremony

Ceer strikes $145m deal with Sabelt for EV sports seats

Ceer, Saudi Arabia’s first electric vehicle (EV) brand, has struck a SAR543 million ($145 million) deal with Italy’s Sabelt to develop sports seats for its upcoming flagship E sedan and SUV models. The drivers will get the same seats as those in high-performance sports cars. Sabelt will create high-performance seats for Ceer, ensuring maximum protection, […]

UAE methanol Hong Namkoong, President and CEO of Samsung E&A and Mashal Saoud Al-Kindi, CEO of Ta’ziz at the EPC contract award ceremony

$1.7bn contract awarded for UAE’s first methanol plant

A joint venture between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and the state-owned sovereign wealth fund Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADQ) has awarded an AED6.2 billion ($1.7 billion) contract to build the UAE’s first methanol production facility. The joint venture, Ta’ziz, has granted an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to South Korea’s Samsung […]

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Proposed Adnoc-OMV entity targets Mubadala unit 

The global polyolefins group proposed by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Austria’s OMV has set its eye on its first acquisition. The proposed merged entity will try to acquire Canada’s Nova Chemicals from Mubadala Investment Company as its first growth opportunity, Adnoc has confirmed in a statement. The Abu Dhabi oil company said negotiations […]

HVS hydrogen Qatar Abdul Waheed

Qatari AI company invests in Scottish hydrogen lorry maker

Qatari AI software supplier Excelledia Ventures has invested in a Scottish HGV manufacturer that is developing zero-emission hydrogen-electric trucks. Glasgow-based Hydrogen Vehicle Systems (HVS) has developed an AI emissions reduction technology that optimises diesel, battery and hydrogen-powered trucks to enhance efficiency and reduce emissions. The hydrogen HGV that HVS is developing has a range of […]

RAK Ceramics creates tiles and sanitaryware such as bathtubs. It is expected to benefit from the Gulf's building spree

Gulf ceramics makers poised for 2025 rebound

Following a turbulent 2024, the Gulf’s listed ceramics makers should perform better this year thanks to lower customs duties, rising demand for their products and fewer Red Sea shipping disruptions. For equity investors, Oman’s Al Anwar Ceramic Tiles and the UAE’s RAK Ceramics provide a play on the Gulf’s rising population and mega infrastructure spending, […]

Edge Group is investing an additional $12m into a majority Edge-owned joint venture with Israel's Thirdeye Systems

Edge Group invests in Israeli defence supplier

UAE state-owned defence conglomerate Edge Group has bought a 30 percent stake in Israeli military supplier Thirdeye Systems for $10 million. The deal is a rare public investment by an Emirati company in Israel since the Gaza war began 15 months ago. Edge will also put an additional $12 million into a new, majority Edge-owned […]

GCC aluminium ingots Bahrain

No investment, more efficiency, say GCC aluminium smelters

Aluminium producers in the Gulf are not planning any fresh investments in 2025, despite a projected rise in global demand, an industry official said this week. Production in the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries grew by around 120,000 tonnes to reach a record high of nearly 6.45 million tonnes in 2024, said Mahmoud Al-Daylami, […]

Akkad Holdings hopes its IV fluid manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia will make up for a global supply shortage

US fund plans $200m factory in Saudi Arabia

US-based fund Akkad Holdings is to invest $200 million to build an intravenous fluid factory in Saudi Arabia. The facility will be based in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in Mecca province. “We’re going to break ground hopefully in the next six months,” Dr Steven Shaya, managing director of the fund, told AGBI at the […]

Geely Automobile Manufacturing Plant, assembly plant workers are assembling the engine, representing the highest level of Chinese technology

China’s Geely opens Mena’s first car assembly plant in Egypt

China’s Geely Auto has opened its first car assembly plant in the Middle East and North Africa near the Egyptian capital to produce 10,000 vehicles per year for the domestic market and up to 30,000 for export. Cairo-based Auto Mobility company (Geely Egypt), said it has invested around $100 million in the new car assembly […]

UAE astronaut Sultan Alneyadi pictured in 2023 in the International Space Station's viewing cupola

How the UAE can make its push into space pay off

Two years ago, the UAE’s Rashid Rover crashed into the moon’s Atlas crater during an attempted landing, marking an abrupt end to the country’s first mission to the moon’s surface. Now, back on Earth, the UAE is once again seeking to stake its claim as part of an elite club of countries with business to […]

The US is anxious to ensure that advanced chips from companies such as Nvidia do not end up in Russia or China

Tighter US chip rules offer challenges and opportunities

Only 18 countries on approved list No Middle East countries among them Not all bad news say observers Despite fierce industry opposition, the White House on Monday further tightened the government’s grip on exports from the US of advanc... Register now: It’s easy and free This content is available for registered members only. Register for […]

Alba, which was launched in 1971 and employs 3,200 people, is the oldest aluminium smelter in the Middle East

Alba and Ma’aden end merger discussions

Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) and the Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) have ended talks over a merger of the two Gulf manufacturing giants. Discussions had been taking place since last year and it had been hoped that a deal could be completed in the first quarter of 2025, according to Alba’s chief executive, Ali Al Baqali. […]

Middle East EVs. The fully electric Porsche Macan. CEO Oliver Blume says EVs have huge potential but charging infrastructure is a hurdle

Ineos and Porsche diverge on Middle East’s EV potential

Ineos Automotive, the UK carmaker backed by billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is considering launching its Fusilier electric vehicle in the Middle East after encountering difficulties with governments across Europe. However other industry players such as Porsche remain cautious about the rollout of EVs in the region, with infrastructure remaining a central problem. London-based Ineos spent […]

Lenovo Saudi PC

Lenovo completes $2bn deal to open Saudi PC factory

The Chinese computer maker Lenovo Group will open a PC manufacturing facility next year in Saudi Arabia after the completion of a $2 billion investment deal with Alat, a Public Investment Fund-backed manufacturing company.  The agreement means the company, which has headquarters in Hong Kong, will establish its Middle East and Africa HQ in Riyadh.  The deal, […]

Lucid started taking orders for its Gravity SUV in November, in an attempt to take some market share from rival Rivian and market leader Tesla delivers deliveries delivered

PIF-backed EV maker Lucid beats 2024 delivery estimates

Electric vehicle maker Lucid beat expectations for deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2024. The company delivered 3,099 EVs in the fourth quarter of 2024, above the estimated 2,637, according to analysts at Visible Alpha. Production rose to 3,386 vehicles in the reported quarter, surpassing estimates of 2,904 units. In total, the company delivered 10,241 […]

A tunnel being constructed at Iraq's Faw Port will take traffic under a river and onto the Road Of Development, which will cross Iraq up to the border with Turkey

Iraq expects road and rail project to provide 20,000 jobs

Iraq’s planned $17 billion project to build a rail line and motorway up to the border with Turkey aims to create at least 20,000 jobs for citizens, officials said. Transport minister Razzak Al-Saadawi said the Road Of Development project, which is backed by the UAE and Qatar, will include the construction of several industry cities […]

turkey foreign currency: Chefs at work in a bakery in Istanbul, Turkey. The central bank has eased its hold on growth in lira-denominated loans for SMEs

Turkey seeks to curb foreign-currency borrowing

The central bank of Turkey has further tightened access to foreign currency borrowing by businesses, while opening the door for an increase in some lira-denominated commercial loans. The country’s central bank last week announced it was lowering its ceiling on foreign currency loan growth to 1 percent a month, down from the previous upper limit […]

Saudi Arabia ranks first in the Arab world and 10th globally in cement production

As prices rise, Saudi cement companies may seek alternatives

Cement companies in Saudi Arabia may be forced to turn to more sustainable alternatives after the prices of fuel products used in production rose for the second successive year. Saudi businesses have been given notice of the price increases, which came into effect from the start of this month. The price of methane, the main […]