Al-Watania Bricks, a quality red bricks producer, is participating in Saudi Build 2000 with a view to expanding its reach into other GCC markets.

A fully Saudi-owned subsidiary of the Al Watania for Industries Company, which is involved in a wide and diverse range of business activities, Al Watania Bricks was established in 1976 and enjoys a high reputation in the red bricks market.

The company's production facility is situated at Al-Hair, 30 km from Riyadh city centre and its head office is in the Old Industrial Area of Riyadh.

Al Watania employs more than 175 experienced and qualified personnel and its turnover last year was $6.5 million, says Moh'd Zafar, bricks factory manager.

The company manufactures various types and sizes of high quality fired red clay bricks and the current capacity is 240,000 tonnes per year (tpy). The range includes: Hordi ceiling blocks, perforated load bearing blocks, polystyrene insulated blocks, non-load bearing hollow blocks, facing bricks, floor pavers and decoration bricks.

The company, which has participated in earlier Saudi Build exhibitions, is happy over the organisation of the event. "The response to our stand was good and we made several sale agreements," says Zafar.

The company is participating in the event to provide more exposure to its products and its employees, he says.

"Despite fierce competition in the field, because of its unique properties Al-Watania bricks have been enjoying a good reputation within the Saudi construction market. The company enjoys a market share of around 12 per cent and plans to expand into other GCC markets through participation in Saudi Build 2000 and others channels," he says.

Al-Watania bricks' properties include: low specific weight (which helps in reducing dead load); good resistance to heat and noise; good formability; varied application and a wide range of surface finishes (in quality, color and pattern).

"Our production programme is flexible and can be adopted to suit the customer's unique needs," he says.

"Compared to last year, we have registered a reasonable increase in business this year. We expect a continuous improvement, especially after introducing our new products and opening of new markets," he says.

Al Watania is planning to diversify into the production of paved bricks and roof tiles. For this, it plans to instal balancing equipment at the existing facilities.

"In all production stages, including the mixing plant, the factory uses either full or semi-automatic computerised systems to ensure production of top quality bricks and reduce costs which pass on to the customer," he continues.

The company uses only the best local raw materials, complying with the highest international standards, he points out. All ingredients are tested regularly at in-house and independent laboratories to ensure that targeted strength and quality are reached for all types of products, says Zafar.

The factory complies with ISO 9002 since 1998 and its bricks are manufactured in accordance with the Saudi Standard and BSS 3921, ASTM C652 and DIN 105 standards.

Al Watania Bricks will be at Saudi Build 2000. Look for the special brick stand at the External Area.