Manufacturer of steel doors and frames Qatar Metal Construction Industry (QMI) is upbeat having bagged a spate of orders from the Gulf region and awaiting the expansion of its facilities to include wood products.

As well as fire-rated steel doors, windows and partitions, the company supplies auxiliary products such as canopies, metal cladding, fencing and castings.

The company, whose manufacturing facilities are in Sharjah, is keen on penetrating deeper into markets outside the GCC area where it sees a big potential for growth in places such as Egypt and Libya, said QMI marketing manager Haytham Al Faquih.

But it has scored its main gains in the GCC region itself. The company has won a spate of projects including the King Abdullah Financial District with a value of approximately Dh6 million ($1.6 million) and contracts for another Dh6 million are under final negotiations.

The company is also set to begin work on five towers on Pearl Island in Qatar with a value of around Dh5 million, the Southern Sun Hotel, Abu Dhabi, Dh3 million, Meena Plaza, also in Abu Dhabi, 2.5 million, and the new headquarters of the Qatari Ministry of Interior Dh2.2 million. 

“The ministry’s new headquarters project involves building and installing all doors and access panels. The doors will be fire-rated acoustic DB 36 and number more than 1,000. Delivery will be completed in 2013,” said Al Faquih.

QMI has won an order from the Doha police traffic department for some 200 steel doors with decorative wood finish. These will be supplied in Q1, 2012.

Among other ongoing projects are the Wusail Tower and the Heart of Doha development in the Qatari capital, each of which will have more than 300 doors built and installed by the company in the first quarter of 2012.

For the GCC-Cigre building in Doha, QMI will be delivering 367 fully glazed fire-rated stainless steel doors.

The company has also won a doors order for the Muscat International Airport expansion.

Completed projects
In recent months, the company supplied more than 500 fire-rated steel doors, windows and acoustic panels for Al Jaidah Building and approximately 220 fire-rated steel doors and windows for Dukhan Tower, both in Doha.

The company has also manufactured the steel column cladding for the Dubai Metro and has completed contracts and is still implementing others for electric substations of the UAE Ministry of Water and Electricity.

Among other UAE projects it worked on was the Raffles Hotel in Dubai. It greatly boosted its 2010 turnover with supplies to Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi and Doha Business Tower.

QMI is certified to ISO 9001: 2008 and has its own Qualicoat-certified coating line. The company stresses that regardless of the source of steel, each batch purchased is tested in an independent third-party lab to ensure conformity with the most stringent ASTM and European standards.

“Our research and development department is actively working to develop new systems which are difficult to find locally. Some of the new developments are fire-rated curtain wall systems and frameless fire-rated partitions,” said Al Faquih discussing achievements.

“Our partnership with De La Fontaine - Canada has given us an edge in the market. De la Fontaine is the producer of the highest quality designer series steel doors. These customised steel doors from them will satisfy the most innovative designers through the introduction of new elements such as copper and brass inlays, embossing and recessed panelled doors without sacrificing the fire rating required by the local authorities.”

A new Dh3 million wood unit to produce fire-rated wooden doors will become operational in the first quarter of next year in the same Sharjah complex where it makes metal products.

 “This strategic expansion into the wood industry was welcomed by our loyal customers who are used to QMI’s quality and service,” said Al Faquih.