Arkan to enter new markets, boost exports

25/09/2016 05:45 AST

UAE-based Arkan Building Materials said it has registered a solid growth this year and is now aiming to increase exports to 20 per cent of the group revenues over the next three years.

A leading construction and building materials company in the UAE, Arkan said its exports currently account for 10 per cent of the group revenues.

Under a new strategy, Arkan now plans to enter new regional markets to create a much needed balance and protect the company from market turbulence, revealed Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri, the chairman of Arkan.

Al Dhaheri was speaking at the ‘Linkages Between Industries’ forum organised by the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, with the aim of strengthening relationships between local companies from a range of different sectors.

The company is presently operating in line with the Abu Dhabi government’s development plans and Senaat plans, which aim to enhance the proportion of income generated from non-oil industries.

Al Dhaheri said: "We are confident that Arkan will increase its market share of the local and regional building material’s industry, despite the slowdown being witnessed by other sectors locally and globally."

"What sets Senaat and its portfolio companies apart, is that they were established on solid investment fundamentals, which are sustainable and able to withstand change, making them less affected by adverse market conditions," he added.

Abdelaziz Asad, the chief operating officer, gave a presentation about the company and its profitable product portfolios at the Abu Dhabi summit.

In his presentation, Asad explained the wide range of products that Arkan has, including Anabeeb GRP Pipes , multi-wall kraft paper and plastic bags, the latter being supplied to a wide range of GCC markets and East African countries and used for storing building materials products such as cement, gypsum, dry mortar, fertilizers and dry chemicals.

According to him, the company's current annual production capacity was 4 million metric tonnes of clinker and 5.7 million metric tonnes of cement per annum.

Arkan, he stated, was able to increase its market share by 28 per cent in the local building materials sector and now plans to improve its performance in the future after showcasing the 26 products that are manufactured in Arkan’s factories.

Its portfolio of concrete products, that range from regular to high-end architectural pavers, have been used in many prestigious projects in Abu Dhabi such as the Emirates Palace, he added.

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