Daikin, a leading Japanese air-conditioning brand, was officially relaunched in Bahrain by Star Technical and Trading Service Company (STTS), its newly-appointed agent and an electro-mechanical contractor, which is opening its new showroom and office in Tubli shortly.

“Daikin Industries – a global leader in commercial and industrial use air-conditioning systems – was present in Bahrain some years ago, so people are aware of the high quality of its products. We have now bought back Daikin to the region and will soon be launching the full range of VRV (variable refrigerant volume), multi-split, ducted split, central cooling and package units, among others,” says Khalid Ashraf, managing director of STTS.
“There is a specific range known as the VRV systems which of interest to the new construction developments in Bahrain. These are extremely suitable in multi-storey buildings. Although we are launching the entire Daikin air-conditioning range in Bahrain, the VRV systems in general and the VRV11 in particular, will be our main focus,” he adds.
The Daikin VRV system is recognised throughout the world as a benchmark for advanced air-conditioning technology. The VRV is a sophisticated rapid-response system in which multiple indoor fan coil units can be zoned with on a single refrigerant circuit. An inverter-driven compressor modulates system output to match the precise cooling/heating requirements of the conditioned space.
The original VRV system has been remarkably reinvented, leading to the creation of the new VRV II. This innovative system features the latest air-conditioning technologies to meet the diverse needs of customers. It is also designed specifically for high outdoor temperature locations, is able to operate under a wide range of ambient temperatures and not need a water supply, which are all features ideal for use in high outdoor temperature environments. The VRVII also has a high power system offering 8 to 30 HP within a single refrigerant piping circuit and an advanced individual control system that is designed to air condition each room individually, whereas conventional systems air-condition a building as a whole.
“We have been using VRV systems across the Middle East in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Oman and Qatar for some time now. Many of the tall multi-storey buildings in Dubai along with the Olympic Building in Qatar have had these systems installed,” says Syed Mahmood, central air conditioning manger of SSTC. “The VRVII is a relatively new product and we are slowly introducing it in Bahrain. It has already been used in the Ascot hotel project which was recently completed and we are also negotiating for a 17-storey building project in Juffair - currently in the development stage - to install this system.”
Cooling systems from Daikin had also been earlier used in The Residence, a new large-scale residential tower complex located along the coast in Juffair, comprising of two 70-m-high towers with each tower having a basement, ground floor and 16 upper floors with a total floor area of 24,000 sq m. Daikin got preference as it had the only VRV product line that has been specifically designed for use in high outdoor temperatures as well as having the capacity that more suited this project.
Daikin – with its wide range of cooling systems – has been active in a number of countries around the globe for more than 80 years. It has secured more than 40 per cent of the market share in Japan and has a well established presence in China, Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America. The company is also one of the leaders in the fluorochemicals industry, with an approximately 20 per cent share in the world market. Daikin’s commercial air-conditioners are used widely in offices, multi-storey buildings, shopping malls, restaurants, commercial and residential compounds and other locations.
With innovations such as humidity control functions, Daikin claims to be the only air conditioning company worldwide that manufactures everything on its own, from refrigerants to compressors. The company employs roughly 19,000 people and has manufacturing operations in 11 countries and is included in the Nikkei 225 Index.
Daikin’s range of cooling products include a line-up of SkyAir, split and packaged air-conditioners, water chillers, the entire VRV series which also includes the VRV111-S and VRV-WII along with a number of different indoor fan coil unit models, including ceiling concealed, slim ceiling concealed, ceiling mounted, ceiling suspended, wall mounted and 'flexi' types among others.
Daikin Middle East is headquartered at Jebel Ali Free Zone in the UAE which has an office and large warehouse for maintaining inventory. This regional office serves the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar along with supporting a dealer network and the full Daikin product portfolio.
“In Bahrain we are not really concentrating in the window AC market, but rather focussing on split, ducted splits, VRV, freestanding equipment and cassette units among others. As the leading distributor of Daikin in this region, we are also maintaining an inventory of all our different units and systems,” elaborates Mahmood.
Established in 1978 in Bahrain, STTS – with its team of professional engineers – offers complete solutions to clients ranging from conceptualisation, design, implementation and maintenance of air-cooling solutions. STTS' new showroom and office facility at Tubli will have complete infrastructure support to assist its clients and be capable of handling complex commercial or residential projects from start to completion.
“Innovation and quality has always been the keystones of Daikin’s philosophy and we look forward to building close relationships with our clients in Bahrain to extend these further,” concludes Saidja Geirnaert, general manager of Daikin Europe Middle East office.