SIGMA Paints Qatar (SPQ) is jubilant about having secured a major deal for its ‘revolutionary’ paint system Sigma Guardian Nano, which was introduced into the Qatar market barely five months ago.

The innovative product is currently being used on the first 100 villas of the 380-villa Al Rayyan Village project. Under a QR3-million ($823,949) deal, SPQ is supplying a range of products including its acrylic primer filler, Aquafill wall-filler as well as the Sigma Guardian Nano to provide ultimate protection for the villas, according to Malcolm Page, general manager of SPQ.

Some QR1.2 million ($330,000) worth of Guardian Nano is being supplied for the project. The client is Primelands with the main contractor being Al Finiqia and the paint subcontractor being Elegant Home Projects.
“Al Finiqia awarded the project to Sigma Paints after more than a year of site visits, numerous samples and trials,” Page points out. “The fact that Sigma Guardian Nano was selected over other regional competitor brands for the project indicates that the owner and the contractor appreciate the advantages of our innovative system which utilises nanotechnology. The development of this new outstanding technology meets the needs of architects, contractors and owners for a paint product that offers superior aesthetic qualities as well as long-term financial benefits of extended paint protection.”
Al Finiqia’s project manager Johnny Chami comments: “We always opt for quality as our projects deserve the best. Sigma Guardian Nano was the best choice for our high-end compounds. In order for these compounds to maintain their appearance and durability in the long run, we needed a paint that would cover a range of requirements. Guardian Nano’s unique anti-dust property, coupled with its resistance to ultraviolet (UV) rays and efflorescence provide our projects the protection needed, while keeping our clients happy. The fact that the range is also environment-friendly (thanks to their low volatile organic compounds – VOCs) is a bonus, and helps us do our bit for the environment.”
The first 100 villas at the Al Rayyan Village project are due for handover by May while the remaining houses within the residential development are expected to be completed by early next year.
Page continues: “Since its official launch on the Qatar market last September, Sigma Guardian Nano has been attracting a lot of interest because of the unique technology that Sigma has pioneered in the paints sector. Nano provides a wide range of benefits, all in one product. These include anti-carbonation and crack-bridging properties, good resistance to UV rays, humidity and efflorescence, and colour-fastness, in combination with low dust pick-up, which is very important particularly in this region. This ensures the durability of the structures while delaying the maintenance sequence significantly.”
SPQ has established a presence in Qatar’s paints market, both in the decorative and protective sectors, and has been involved in a diverse range of projects, right from villas to storage tanks.
“The protective coatings sector accounts for some 40 per cent of our business,” says Page. “On the decorative side, one of our most prominent projects was the Hamad Medical City (which served as the Athletes Village during the Doha Asian Games 2006), undertaken by El Seif Engineering of Saudi Arabia.”
SPQ has just completed supply of paints for the first phase of Barwa Village Wakra and the two sites for the Barwa low-cost housing scheme.
Barwa Village Wakra has just been completed. The estimated QR1.5 billion ($412 million) mixed-use residential and retail development consists of 18 three-storey buildings with shops on the ground level and apartments on the upper levels.

The Barwa low-cost housing comprises 1,998 two and three-bedroom apartments.
Last November, SPQ also completed supply of paint products for the boundary wall of the Emiri Guard headquarters. The job involved supplying paint for the 200,000 sq m boundary wall that extends 8 km and stands at a height of 13 m. The value of paint was approximately QR2 million ($550,000).
SPQ’s project portfolio also includes around 20 towers as well as projects within Medina Centrale on The Pearl-Qatar development, in addition to having completed some 40 schools and numerous high-rises around Doha.
On the protective coatings side, it has supplied systems for Qatar Chemical Company’s Q-Chem II integrated petrochemical plant expansion, 35 storage tanks for Dolphin Energy, Ras Laffan refinery (tanks), Halul Offshore crude oil storage tanks as well as a few marine coating projects.
Sigma has been active in Qatar since the mid-1970s, having supplied to landmark developments such as the Messaieed port and the original Khalifa Stadium in its early years in the market. The company established an office in the country in 2001 and has been growing from strength to strength since then. It has a 2,000-sq-m sales and distribution facility in Doha, which maintains a stock worth around QR4 million to QR5 million ($1.1 million to $1.37 million). The operation provides support and training to applicators and carries out onsite inspection to ensure proper application of its products.
Commenting on prospects for this year, Page says: “We are optimistic about 2010. Although some private sector projects have halted or slowed down, a lot of public sector infrastructure work is coming on the market.”
As part of its growth plans, SPQ intends to open additional retail units during the year.