Pest control specialist Masa, which is celebrating this year the silver jubilee of its Dammam branch, has been a foremost player in its field in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region as elsewhere in the kingdom.

“With ongoing huge construction projects in Dammam, Al Khobar and Dhahran, Masa is doing its best to grab every business opportunity, offering pre-construction and post-construction treatment against termites and regular pest control services at a very competitive price to maintain a pest-free environment,” said owner and general manager Mousaied S Shieshakly.
“Masa is looking forward to capitalising heavily on the recent boom in the construction industry in the Eastern province particularly in the Dammam area where considerable Aramco housing projects are being constructed.”
With the opening of Masa’s first branch in Dammam in 1980, Masa Establishment for Pest Extermination Services has experienced continuous success. The company considers the opening of the Dammam branch a significant landmark in its 25-year march. It now has 11 branches kingdomwide.
“Today, Dammam is a highly commercial place, far different from what it was in the 1980s, and the scope for pest control, termite control and fumigation services there is getting wider by the day,” observed Shieshakly.
In general, environmental awareness has increased with growing populations, enabling Masa to play a key role as a leader in the pest control industry in Saudi Arabia, he said.
Dammam being one of the largest seaports in the kingdom, Masa has been extending its professional fumigation services to ships coming to King Abdulaziz Seaport from around the world.  Masa has installed at its Dammam branch a 40-strong staff of professionals including well trained pest control technicians, supervisors, and marketing personnel under the guidance of a well-qualified branch manager. In addition to Dammam, the branch covers Al Khobar and Dhahran, which have large business areas.
“Our quality of services has made us different from our competitors and given us the edge over them,” said Shieshakly.  Dammam being a highly commercialised centre with advanced seaport facilities, the company opened a separate fumigation division under a fumigation specialist. The division covers the seaport, grain silos and warehouses belonging to the government and private companies.
“Fumigation is by far the best available treatment for the total elimination if insect pests when conventional treatment is ineffective,” said Shieshakly. The company has been supplying fumigation equipment, chemicals and other material for the past three years in all grain silos across the country.
In view of the effects on the environment following the construction boom, Dammam and near-by cities are considered a “termite zone.”  Termites find it easier to proliferate there because of the availability of moisture and wet places.
Shieshakly says the risk of termite infestation is prevented better if in the pre-construction stage itself, rather than after construction, termiticide emulsion is applied during the various construction stages, starting with the foundation footings and going on to walling, including the exterior perimeter.
“Such treatment, which is also referred to as termite proofing, depends on the structural composition of the building and the manner in which it is built, and it is a time-tested method that guarantees a complete chemical barrier against termites,” comments Shieshakly. 
“Masa’s untiring efforts to support the construction industry by controlling and eradicating the widespread threat of termites in the kingdom have always been widely appreciated.  By offering a range of pre-construction and post-construction termite options, it has been able to guarantee the stability of the constructed buildings by overcoming the threat of subterranean termites.”
Conditions in the Eastern Province, including business growth, have made it favourable for the pest control industry. The region now houses many big offices, sprawling supermarkets and shopping malls, a growing number of educational institutions and hospitals, restaurant chains, furnished apartments and hotels. The demand for pest control services grows day by day.
An exhibition on safety and sanitation was held in early March of this year at the Royal Commission premises in Jubail. Masa had a special booth to make the public aware of pest control services and to emphasise on the safe use of pesticides. Problems associated with the excessive use of pesticides have prompted government departments and private companies to intensify efforts to educate people on the effects of pesticides misuse. Masa feels that professionals in pest control management need to inform the public about the concept of actual risk versus perceived risk associated with pesticide applications and the importance of noting labels, directions and proper application procedures.
Masa is also an active participant in Riyadh and Jeddah exhibitions. For 2005, it booked nine exhibitions and has assigned entomological staff, agricultural engineers and pest-control experts to present demonstrations at the stalls on pest infestations and the damage caused, prevention and cure.
The industrial cities of Jubail and Yanbu have much potential for pest control operations.  Masa has a separate branch located in Jubail.
Masa is negotiating with many reputable manufacturers of pesticides and pest control equipment worldwide to enhance its portfolio of products and services. It is also actively promoting IPM (Integrated Pest Management) products - a combination of non-toxic chemicals and materials that is safer for public health and the environment.
The company has a long list of clients in Dammam. Among them are the Rehabilitation Society of King Fahad, TIG Compound, Khalid Saad Al Hajri, Bitumat Company, King Abdulaziz International School, Girls College, Dorrat Al Wadi Trading Co, Giant Store, Al Yamama Co, Safe International, Salman Al Duhaim Est, Al Naghi Brothers Company, Nabisco Arabia Co, Al Bassam Group, McDonalds, Nabisco Arabia, Arasco Camp, Swayeh Co, Ubar Trading Est, Al Muhaidib, Al Kifah Construction, Project Build Est, Oriental Shipping Co, Al Bassam Group, United Food Industries Corporation, United Trading Corporation, Al Hugayet Trading & Contracting Co and Al Azizia Panda United.