S&A Abahsain Co Ltd (S&A Abahsain), one of the largest groups in Saudi Arabia is entering a phase of rapid expansion for all its divisions.

S&A Abahsain is ranked among the top 50 companies in Saudi Arabia and is engaged in numerous business activities including manufacturing, chemicals trading, retailing, contracting and services with branches in all the main Saudi cities as well as in the UAE and Canada.
S&A Abahsain was established in 1947 in the electrical contracting field. It grew to become the Arabian Electric Supply Company in 1953, a power distribution firm.  A pipeline construction division was added soon after. A trading division in 1961 and a road construction division in 1965 followed. A commercial division was established in 1961 and is today one of the top three vendors to Saudi Aramco. The expansion continued through the next decade with a heavy equipment division established in 1978 and representing reputable heavy equipment manufacturers such as Tadano & Tadano, JCB, Yale, Wiggins, Hyundai, Upright and Sellick.  A foodstuff division was established in 1980 in response to rapid population growth in the country.
Building on its past successes and strong relations with multinational companies, a chemical division was established in 1981 which today supplies 95 per cent of Saudi Arabia’s soda ash requirements. Building on its commercial experience, S&A Abahsain established a welding products division in 1986 and an automotive division in 1988 representing well-known brands such as Mack of the US and Yuotong of China.
As well as this, S&A Abahsain owns six manufacturing, service and repair operations in addition to the Saudi Arabian Glass Company Ltd (Sagco). These are:
• Abahsain-Cope Saudi Arabia Ltd: Manufacturers of cable management solutions. The factory is located in the Jeddah industrial zone near the Jeddah Islamic port. The unit employs 550 people
• Flowserve/Abahsain Company Ltd: Manufacturers of BW mechanical seals and a service and repair workshop for BJ submersible motors
• Omega Factory for Luminaries, Poles and Galvanising: Manufacturers of various types of steel poles, high masts and lighting fixtures as well as being engaged in hot dip galvanising of steel material
• National Galvanising: This unit serves the needs of major fabricators in the eastern and central regions of Saudi Arabia
• Industrial Supplies Development Co Ltd: This unit serves the communication needs of the oil and gas industry and the power utilities of Saudi Arabia
• Carawan Furniture Factory: This factory supplies furniture to the government and large housing projects.
The company also provides communication services.  ISD, a subsidiary of the Abahsain group, was formed in 1995 to serve the communication needs of the oil and gas industry and the power utilities of Saudi Arabia.
While the need for good communications systems is immense in these sectors, the hostile environ-ment constantly degrades equipment and necessitates replacements. Thus, the market is constant and promises steady growth to match technological developments.
Speaking of future trends in the group, SK Maqsood, director and general manager, said: “Manufacturing combined with downstream integ-ration will have a strong focus in our vision for our future.”