AL QAHTANI Maritime (AQM), one of the leading Saudi companies providing oil, gas and water drilling equipment and services, plans to set up a research and development (R&D) facility in Dammam Industrial Village in Saudi Arabia to cater to the engineering needs of the oil and gas industry and to provide training to fresh Saudi graduates.

“The aim is to prepare the young Saudi graduates to meet the challenges faced by the local oil and gas industry,” says Hassan M Asiree, general manager, AQM.

The company, which is a part of the Abdulhadi A Al Qahtani Sons Group, has also opened a new division for upstream and downstream chemicals in the last year in collaboration with some of the major European and Asian manufacturers including Croda, Kemira, Rodenburg Biopolymers, Belaruss Potash, and Samsung Fine Chemicals – all leaders in speciality chemicals and chemicals blending components.

It is now in the process of launching a local manufacturing and blending facility within the kingdom to provide clients with speciality chemicals manufactured and developed in Saudi Arabia.

The 50,000 sq m facility will be constructed in Dammam on a land owned by the group and will be operational in 2014.

AQM ... a platform for advanced oil and gas technologies

AQM has taken aggressive steps forward to build a leading facility in Dammam Industrial Village to provide corrosion services management in a joint venture partnership with a world leading group with more than 50 years of experience in this field.

The joint venture will be announced shortly after approvals and permits are granted. This facility will span a 100,000 sq m in phase 1 with another 100,000 sq m planned for phase 2.

AQM, has grown steadily over the years and according to Asiree, it has recorded well over 40 per cent growth over the course of last year alone.

The company is looking forward to growing its business further in the coming year.

“With recent projected number of rigs announced by Saudi Aramco and growing demand on oil and gas services we expect to continue our growth in the coming years.

“Our investment in the local economy shows our commitment to a very aggressive growth strategy that will benefit our country and share holders,” says Asiree.