in brief
Bahrain Light Industries Company (Blico) has witnessed 50 per cent growth in sales and is optimistic the trend will continue in 2000 and 2001, according to its chairman Hamed Al Zayani.
PIC sell-off
Al-Ahlia Investment Company of Kuwait bought a salt and chlorine factory from Petrochemicals Industries Company (PIC) in its privatisation sale for KD10.8 million ($35.76 million).
Richie's auction debut
Ritchie Bros Auctioneers held the first auction of used industrial and construction equipment at its new $3.5 million purpose-built auction facility in Jebel Ali Free Zone. The company has leased a 100,000 sq m plot and has built a 2,000 sq m workshop and a 1,800 sq m auction facility. The rest is a yard where the equipment to be sold are kept.
Cool facts
The number of factories for refrigerators, freezers, water coolers, cold storage and cold transport vehicles in the GCC has reached 82, with an invested capital of about $259 million, employing 7,100 workers.
Top boat
Bahrain's Al Dha'en Boat Factory says its new SDX-36 powerboat has a top speed of 52.7 miles per hour and beats many of the competitors in its class, including Mako's 333 Attack and Donzi's 34-ZF boats. The boat, which is designed for fishing, is 36 feet long and weighs 8,370 pounds.
Sponsor law eased
Oman is to allow foreign firms to open representative offices in the Sultanate without local sponsorship.
Mudhaher gets ISO 9002
Mudhaher Establishment's Metal Industries Division has won ISO 9002 certification. The company manufactures hulls for water, fuel and cesspit tankers, bitumen tanks, tippers, trailers, and also undertakes structural steel work, general and specialised fabrications, machining and metal casting.
Banz upgrades plant
Banz Group of Companies in Bahrain upgraded its refrigeration plant with environment-friendly equipment at a cost of BD600,000 ($1.59 million).
Protection ruled out
Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Finance and Industry Minister, has ruled out protection for national industrial products saying it would lead to a decline in quality.
