ARABIAN Fibreglass Insulation Company (Afico) has completed a major expansion at its manufacturing facility in Dammam, which has boosted its production capacity by 50 per cent.

With local and regional demand rising for the company’s products, Afico says it is well positioned to meet the current and projected market requirements.
“With the construction industry experiencing growth, the demand for high-quality fibreglass insulation has been on the rise. Keeping that in view, Afico recently invested more than SR60 million ($16 million) in upgrades and expansion,” says Khalid Al Ruhayem, marketing manager of Afico.
This investment was part of its strategy to continuously improve and upgrade its facilities and follows a SR40-million investment made in 2007 on modernising its production facilities.
Established in 1981 with its headquarters and manufacturing facilities located in Dammam First Industrial City, Afico claims to be the only manufacturer of fibreglass insulation products in Saudi Arabia and has established a reputation in markets worldwide, including the Gulf, Middle East and Africa and Far East countries. The company manufactures glasswool thermal and acoustical insulation products for roofs, walls, floors, air-conditioning ducting and piping, as well as acoustical ceilings.
These include mechanical board insulation, duct liners and liner boards, faced duct wraps, residential cavity wall insulation, heavy-density pipe insulation, acoustic ceiling panels, pipe wrap insulation, blanket insulation, thermal insulating wool insulation, board insulation, quiet liners, pre-engineered metal building insulation and roof deck insulation.
These products have been used on many prominent projects both in the industrial and commercial domains.
Afico started out as a joint venture between the Zamil Industrial Investment Company, which owns 51 per cent of the company’s shares, and Owens Corning Corporation of the US owning the remaining 49 per cent. Under licence and utilising the know-how and technical specifications of Owens Corning, Afico manufactures premium quality products comparable to those sold in the US and Europe.
As a world leader in the technology of manufacturing fiberglass products, Owens Corning brought a wealth of experience to Dammam facility especially at its early stages. Over its 25 years in the field, Afico has developed its own expertise in its endeavour to lead the market with its high quality products and services.
To ensure proximity to the major markets, Afico has sales offices in Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Dubai (UAE) and Beirut (Lebanon). In addition, Afico has been successful in building strong strategic business alliances with competent distributors in various countries, as well as long-term commercial alliances with international suppliers.
Afico is certified to ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment), Ohsas 18,001 (health and safety) standards, and also has the CE-EN mark and Dubai Municipality Central Laboratory’s DCL-Mark. Its products meet all the requirements of the ASTM, BS and DIN international standards, says Al Ruhayem.
In line with its commitment to a greener, cleaner environment, the company has been playing its role in environment conservation by increasing the amount of recycled materials in its products.
Regarding the global financial downturn, Al Ruhayem says: “We in Saudi Arabia haven’t been affected much and continued to maintain our sales levels of last year. Nevertheless, we have drawn up plans to distribute our products depending on the downturn in the respective countries. In Saudi Arabia and GCC, the market will be in stable situation.”
Afico has supplied to a large number of projects in Saudi Arabia including: King Khalid International Airport, Jeddah Islamic Development Bank, Aramco schools, King Saud University, International Security Forces housing, Ministry of Health G-Series Hospital, Petroline and Petromin office building, Riyadh International Sports Stadium, Sabic headquarters, Trade and Finance Centre, Voterakon projects, Yanbu community housing, King Abdul Aziz University, King Fahad International Airport, and the Ministry of Interior.
Elsewhere in the GCC, its projects include British Bank of the Middle East in Oman; Amiri Palace, Doha International Airport and West Bay Lagoon Plaza in Qatar; Emaar headquarters, Garden Factory, Green Community, Dubai Marina Phase Two, Al Raha Resort, Arabian Ranches, Etisalat Tower, 384 villas at Jumeirah Island, Marina Tower project, Dubai airport Terminal Two, Dubai Mall, Burj Dubai Residence phases one, two and three, and Mediterranean Gardens in the UAE; Symphony Complex, Handicraft Industries and Ministry of Health’s Sabah Hospital in Kuwait; and Alba administration building, an iron ore plant and Bahrain International Airport in Bahrain.
Internationally, Afico has contributed to projects such as the Hong Kong’s Chep Lap Kok Airport and Bank of China building in Hong Kong; the Quaid-e-Azam International Airport in Pakistan; and the China World Trade Centre.