The Saudi-based Al Zamil Group and the Dorma Group of Germany are planning to significantly expand their  operations in the Middle East.

Sulaiman Al Zamil, director of Hamed A Al Zamil and Bros, and Dr Michael Sch„dlich, chief executive officer of the Dorma Group, signed contracts increasing Dorma's shareholding in a production facility for automatic doors in Saudi Arabia. The two representatives also announced plans to establish a subsidiary and take-over a service organisation in the door automation sector in the UAE.

The contracts will increase Dorma's shareholding in the Dorma Arabia Automatic Doors (Daad) joint venture from 49  to 75 per cent.
The joint venture, established in 2000 in Dammam, has developed into the Gulf's market leader for the production and sale of automatic doors. 

Al Zamil is one of the most important industrial and trading groups on the Arabian peninsula.
Dorma is a globally active supplier of door technology systems, a world market leader in the door hardware and room partition sectors. It has been represented in the Gulf region since the 1980s.

The combination of the regional presence of Al Zamil and the technological know-how of Dorma has, according to Al Zamil, been a significant contributory factor in the success of Daad.

'Dorma's purpose in acquiring a majority interest in Daad is to be able to offer high-quality system solutions to our customers in the region from a single source,' emphasised Dr Sch„dlich in Riyadh.