HAVING maintained a steady market growth, Saudi Pultrusion Industry (SPI) – a leading manufacturer of high-technology fibre-reinforced plastics (FRP) products – says it is fast emerging as the market leader in the region’s FRP sector.

“Overall, with its market growth, SPI is proving to be the market leader in the FRP fields in the region,” says SPI chairman and CEO Abdullatif Al Arfaj.

Part of the Abdullatif M Al Arfaj and Brothers Holding Company, SPI manufactures FRP products under a technical license of Pacific Composites, a pioneer in pultrusion in Australia.

Established in 2006, SPI claims to be the first and the only fibre glass pultrusion manufacturer, designer and fabricator of high quality FRP structural products and systems in the Middle East. Using the pultrusion process – a continuous, semi-automated process for manufacturing composite materials – SPI produces a range of products from pultruded profiles and gratings, handrail ladder and safety cages to complete designed and engineered platform walkways staircase systems.

In this process, continuous fibres or fabrics made of glass or carbon fibres are impregnated with a resin in the impregnation bath. The material is then drawn through a heated die, by a pulling system located near the end of the pultruder and the composite is then cut into length.

“What increases demand for FRP products is its performance and inclination to adapt in the harsh environmental conditions currently being encountered in the construction field. This is where the designers/engineers take advantage of the feature benefits the FRP products can offer such as: exceptional chemical and corrosion resistance, high strength to weight ratio, electrical and thermal conductivity, excellent cost performance, low installation cost and minimal maintenance to name few,” says Al Arfaj.

“Having been in this business for only six years, our product has gone into different industries where steel, aluminium and wood performance has failed,” he adds.: “Today, FRP materials are increasingly being recognised as the materials of the future, offering exciting new opportunities and a combination of benefits not available with traditional materials such as metal and timber.”

With its highly trained sales and engineering staff, the company, is now well placed to service various projects of Saudi Aramco, Royal Commission for Yanbu & Jubail, Marafiq, Ministry of Water & Power, Ministry of Agriculture, Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), Sabic, Maaden, Saudi Electric Company and the recently concluded recreational/resort project from the Municipality of Al Hassa.

Furthermore, the company’s decision to open a branch in Jeddah, Western Region of Saudi Arabia have proved to be fruitful as major contracts have been received for desalination plants through local contractors, for the supply of various FRP materials. Likewise, National Water Company has approved SPI products for used in various sewage treatment plants and sanitary public work projects in the region.

In the Eastern Province, as construction in Jubail Phase II and III are now in full swing, SPI has supplied good volume of FRP products for the Kayyan and Sadara projects. Recently, it has won one prestigious contract from Al Fatah Water and Power for the construction of Al Jubail SWRO (Saline Water Reverse Osmosis) Desalination Plant. “Supply of FRP materials is on-going and we understand that the set up and operation of this plant is the first of its kind in the kingdom,” says Al Arfaj.

Steadily, SPI is moving on its export business in the GCC countries. “We have been approved to supply our products to Bapco (Bahrain Petroleum Company) for their WWTP (Waste Water Treatment Plant) near the refinery through a Korean contractor, GS Engineering & Construction and MCSC (Mechanical Contracting & Services Co). In Qatar, our materials have reached to Ras Al Laffan Power Plant, and on small scale short form orders from Oman and Kuwait,” he adds.

As part of a highly diversified group, SPI is one of the companies under the Al Arfaj Group whose businesses include Saudi Aircon (HVAC Contracting), SWS (Specialised Welding Services), Saudi Technic Energy, Saudi Technic( industrial supplies) as well as a range of joint ventures including Nanotek, MTData Mobile & Tracking Middle East and Eco Australia Middle East.