THE Saudi Electrical Transformers Factory (SETF), one of the most modern and high-tech manufacturer of electrical transformers in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, is gearing up to face the big changes to come in the wake of increased competition.

In a new strategic initiative, the SETF Board of Strategic Management has decided to increase its current production capacity by opening a second plant in an area next to its existing facility in Jeddah.
It is anticipated that the proposed factory will come up by the end of 2009, bringing the total production area to 20,000 sq m from its current 7,500 sq m.
At the same time, SETF is also focusing all its efforts on two separate but complementary activities.
While the first one is to continuously update its machinery, processes and human resources to meet the challenges lying ahead, the second is to constantly invest in the Research & Development to develop products of finer quality and reliability.
Currently the processes are being reshuffled and constantly monitored to prove their worthiness, says the company statement. Every production step is subject to numerous quality checks and assessments, as the methods used in producing transformers are always being re-engineered and developed to give the best in electro-magnetic engineering, it adds.
“Our design engineers are constantly working in close collaboration with national and international education and engineering institutes to make sure that whatever goes out of SETF production lines is only top notch in safety, power, reliability and quality,” says SETF general manager Dr J N Maalouli.
Established in 1999, SETF has its main manufacturing plants in the fourth zone of the industrial city of Jeddah. The original production line was designed to manufacture low voltage home appliance auto-transformers.
Soon the outstanding quality of SETF products imposed itself as a standard benchmark in the world of auto-transformers as it also gave the company momentum to expand into newer and more diversified products.
The first 500 kVA low voltage power transformer to be manufactured by SETF was rolled out in 2000 as this marked the first in a series of expansions that led the company to become one of the major dry-type manufacturers in the Mena (Middle East, North Africa) region.
The year 2001 marked another milestone for SETF as the company designed, manufactured and delivered its first medium voltage, dry type power transformer. The event was particularly significant since for the first time a transformer was completely manufactured using local expertise and processes only.
The tremendous success of this first order gave SETF a place in the sun and ever since it has moved from strength to strength expanding its original production premises from the initial 4,000 to 7,500 sq m.
The main drive behind this set of expansions was the outstanding technological and quality features lined within SETF products and the restless pursuit for perfection, be it in state of the art machineries, processes or even design practices.
Today SETF is a leader in the Gulf markets for dry type transformers (medium and low voltage) combining years upon years of expertise in design, exceptional processes and out of the box quality control and assuring techniques, and keeping their customers a notch ahead of the competition.
SETF’s client list is impressive too. With more than 2,000 transformers operating in the Gulf at companies from Saudi Aramco, to Prince Mohammad Bin Fahed University, by passing through the Saudi Ministry of Defence and Aviation Critical Infrastructure and the Prestigious QIPCO Twin Towers in Qatar, SETF has catered to almost all the major companies and more importantly has earned the status of partners.
“Our clients are our partners in our success, in our development, in our sustainability and above all in our quest for constantly delivering the best effort possible,” adds Dr Maalouli.