UAE-based ESC Al Sharafi Steel, a leading regional sheet pile solutions provider, is keenly looking at entering the Saudi market with its quality products and services and is presently evaluating plans to set up a partnership and presence in the country.

ESC Al Sharafi Steel, which designs, produces and installs sheet pile systems, sees good potential for its services in the Saudi market. Says managing director Kevin Ashdown: “Saudi Arabia has some of the world’s most elaborate construction and development programmes, which have been taken on in a conservative and controlled manner. The business plans have been based on demand rather than speculation. As the global economic scenario returns to normalcy, Saudi Arabia is well-positioned to benefit from the best deals in driving forward its future growth and expansion.”
Established early last year as a joint venture between ESC, a global sheet pile supplier since the late 1980s, and Al Sharafi Group, a leading Gulf industrial group with diversified activities, ESC Al Sharafi Steel has already carried out several projects in the UAE including an oil terminal, a ship lift dock and port expansion projects and is now looking at supplying similar projects in Saudi Arabia which include the King Faisal Naval Base, King Abdullah Economic City, ports, harbours, marinas, jetty and wharves as well as any other new port and harbour wall infrastructure and reclaimed land retaining wall infrastructure.
ESC’s primary scope of works is providing sheet pile solutions. “What this means is that we will enter discussions with a client to clearly determine his requirements, then specify a suitable system using our engineering resources, including geotechnics. We will then use our material supply capabilities to provide a complete package to the client, including sheet piles, painting, tie rods and anchors, cathodic protection and even installation services,” explains Ashdown.
Material is either sourced from the company’s own production facilities in the UAE or from its many technical partnerships with specialised suppliers around the world, including Nippon Steel.
“The range of materials that ESC has at its disposal enables it to find the most suitable and competitive solution to the clients requirements,” he points out.
Although a fairly new entrant in the market, ESC says it has drawn a lot of interest from many large international contractors who see the value-added propositions that it has to offer. “While it is only our second year since inception, the company is now a known and highly-regarded specialist sheet piling solutions company. Last year was a very good one for ESC with more than three port supply orders coming in alongside numerous other supply orders as well as the first design-and-build order,” says Ashdown.
The company does, however, anticipate a slowdown period and is taking the necessary measures to stave off the gloomy period.
 “The global downturn has slightly affected ESC’s growth, since its business is tied directly into mainstream civil construction area,” he says. “The effect on the sector in turn affected us too at the supply chain end of building materials manufacturing. Hence, the company has decided to consolidate its manufacturing to a select few production facilities, which includes Abu Dhabi. We are also undertaking an extensive cost-restructuring programme, which is driving down the overall manufacturing and the operational costs. In addition, we are increasing our coverage to the rest of the region, primarily Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Kuwait and Bahrain to demonstrate our key strength as a local manufacturing entity that can easily and quickly facilitate the needs and demands of the Gulf domestic markets.”
The company does, however, see a favourable time ahead. “Given the current steel prices, with our Gulf production facility as well as our reputation coupled with our competitive pricing strategy and solutions-based approach, we see a comprehensible time ahead of us. Our venture in the Gulf is a solid amalgamation between two powerful entities, both of which have sound core competencies and financials, backed by highly-skilled resources. We believe that we will be successful in our future endeavours and clients in the entire Gulf region and that once the Middle East construction engine restarts, we will be the frontrunners in supply,” says Ashdown.
The company has seen steady progress since last year, during which it establish three manufacturing facilities in strategic locations around the world – China, for the global market; UAE, for the Middle East and Africa; and Russia for Europe.
The UAE facilities, which employ 30 staff, comprise the Middle East corporate office, a production facility and a warehouse located at ICAD, Musaffah, Abu Dhabi and a site temporary beach yard in Fujairah. The firm plans to expand its UAE manufacturing facility and increase its product range.
ESC Al Sharafi also has established a construction arm in the UAE focused on sheet pile installation works as a value-added service to main contractors.
In line with its goal of increasing sales in the region, the firm intends to establish a more prominent set-up in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain with well-enabled and focused localised resources and partners.
As a global group, ESC has struck a strategic technical partnership with Nippon Steel Corporation to offer the full range of hot-rolled sheet piles alongside ESC’s successful cold-formed and cold-rolled range.
The prestigious projects being undertaken by the company include:
• Fujairah oil terminal, which is due for completion this month. ESC designed and supplied 1.8 km of sheet pile quay wall for the Fujairah Oil Terminal Two deepwater (-18 m draft) oil handling facility. Under a $30 million contract, a combi wall system was used with 1.4-m-diameter pipe piles and 1.1-m-wide cold-formed ESC sheet piles. Corrosion protection painting works involving sandblasting of piles and spraying of marine grade paints were carried out on its beach yard in Fujairah. Tie rod systems were also supplied by ESC. The main contractor involved in installation works is Athena, the consultant is MUC Engineering while the client is the Port Authority of Fujairah.
• Al Sowah Island in Abu Dhabi, for which ESC designed and supplied a temporary sheet pile and tie-back anchoring system for the retaining wall for the bridges piers at the project. “The roads and bridges project in Al Sowah Island comes as the first full design, supply and build project for ESC Sharafi. The island project is being developed by Mubadala-Jon Buck and is earmarked to be the future financial district of Abu Dhabi. The ESC project was valued at Dh11 million ($3 million) and was completed in January,” he says.
• Al Jazeera ship lift dock in Ras Al Khaimah, for which ESC designed and supplied 300 m of sheet pile quay wall. “The client’s engineer had specified a standard European-based H pile combi wall system. However, ESC was approached by the contractor and provided an equivalent and more competitive design using its products,” says Ashdown. “The designs were reviewed and approved by the client’s engineers and the contractor won the deal based on ESC’s alternative. Piles were delivered to the site fully fabricated to the final lengths, complete with approved painting systems. The project is expected to be complete next month with the total supply value of piles being approximately $5 million.”
• Ras Al Khaimah Port, which required to upgrade its general port facilities. “While a sheet pile wall system using European sheet piles and tie-back systems was specified in 2005, ESC proposed an ESC sheet pile and tie-back system, which was accepted by the client,” he says. “Since then, ESC has been awarded the supply of two more phases of the port development, with the final stage being scheduled for completion by mid-2009. The total quay wall length supplied is 1.6 km.
• Bulk cargo berth at Port of Fujairah, a design-and-build project which entailed a new 1.2 km bulk cargo handling facility at the port (-15.0 m draft). ESC worked with one of the prospective contractors during the tender stage and provided full tender designs and costing for the sheet pile wall system. “Based on ESC’s design, the contractor was awarded the project. We have supplied the complete H pile combi wall system, together with painting works and tie-back systems. The project was completed at the end of last year and the wharf is now in use,” he says.