Mulk Holdings plans to increase its production of ACPs and diversify into other cutting-edge building solutions. It is in the process of establishing new facilities in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere globally.

UAE-based Mulk Holdings, owner of the world’s largest aluminium composite panels (ACP) brand, is boosting its production capacity around the globe while diversifying its portfolio with cutting-edge architectural building solutions like solid surfaces, coated metals and nano composites.

The company is expanding its production capacity in the UAE from the current levels of 12 million sq m (7 million sq m in Sharjah and 5 million sq m in Ajman), while in Saudi Arabia it is in the process of introducing new facilities.

And as it aims to extend its reach in the global marketplace, Mulk Holdings has spread its network of production units even further: It has launched the largest ACP production unit in Ghana, Africa, with a production capacity of two million sq m and has embarked on boosting its facilities in Sri Lanka.

“The ACP production facility in Ghana is a first-of-its-kind integrated facility with a training centre for metal fabrication and installation,” says Shaji Ul Mulk, the founder and chairman of Mulk Holdings.

In another first in the industry, Mulk Holdings has started the first fire-rated panels production line in Turkey, where the panels will be produced with a width of 2 m.

Namasthe tower in Mumbai, India ... a Mulk Holdings project.

Headquartered in the Hamriya Freezone of Sharjah, Mulk Holdings has broadened its horizons across Europe, the US, Africa, Turkey, India, and Middle East. Its flagship brand Alubond USA metal composites, which are used for exterior cladding applications, has grown into the world’s largest ACP brand with operations in 11 countries and a market reach of 90 countries.

Mulk Holdings is looking to grow beyond being an aluminium composite manufacturer into a conglomerate with a portfolio of advanced architectural building solutions like solid surfaces.

The company, which has already introduced Alubond solid surfaces on the market, has initiated the first local solid surfaces facility in the UAE. These solid surfaces are used for various interior applications and for furniture.

Commenting on the company’s performance last year, Ul Mulk says: “Business in 2014 was very positive for the group, which grew at a healthy 30-plus per cent due to the organic growth of our building material brands and inorganic expansion with tie-ups in other GCC countries.

“We won prestigious projects like Abu Dhabi International Airport, the Dubai Mall extension and Cairo Airport projects.”

He, however, points out that competition has increased in the aluminium composite market, with three to four new manufacturing companies in the UAE itself.

“But we focus on quality products through international certifications and product innovations. Our major line of business is through our fire-rated products range as we take utmost care in providing safe and durable solutions to our customers,” he says.

The Belville in Serbia ... ACPs from Mulk Holdings.

Regarding the prospects for the construction industry in the GCC, Ul Mulk says: “With major events lined up like Expo 2020 in Dubai and the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar, building activity has received a significant boost in the region. It is also encouraging to see that the regulatory framework in the GCC, particularly the UAE, has come of age and there is a push to install certified building materials. This makes the sector and construction activity more sustainable and durable in the region. Mulk Holdings will continue to play an active role in contributing to this growth.”'

Mulk Holdings is a multinational group of 20 companies with diversified business interests in manufacturing of Alubond USA brand of metal composites, interior and exterior design and fit-outs, plastic industries, power generation, aluminium coil coatings, healthcare, real estate, commodities and solar energy.

Its other brands include Alubond Fit Out, which offers joinery and fit-out solutions, and Coil Cote, which provides metal coating solutions used for cladding, roofing, etc.

Mulk Holdings has a number of offices in the Gulf including Eurocon Building Industries, Sharjah; Alubond Ajman, Ajman; Alubond Fit Out, Dubai; Alubond Solid Surface, Sharjah; Alubond Marketing, Dubai; Coil Cote, Sharjah; Mulk Decorative Glass and Metal, Ajman; Eurocon Metal Industries, Ajman; M Square Design Studio, Sharjah; Mulk Renewable Energy, Sharjah; Global Hawk Diagnostic Centres, Dubai; and Mulk Commodities – all in the UAE.

It also has Mulk Residency in Ajman and Serbia; Metal Plast Industries in the UAE and Oman; Alubond Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Alubond Turkey in Istanbul, Turkey.

Mulk Holdings has an annual turnover of $1.8 billion. It employs a direct workforce of over 1,000 and more than 2,000 through partners in different countries.