Specialist fabricator Al Raien Metallic Construction Industries of Sharjah has seen sales rising steadily over the past two years and expects to maintain the trend this year, the company says.

According to general manager BN Bhattacharya, sales totaled Dh8 million ($2.17 million) in 2006 against Dh6 million in the previous year. Approximately 20 per cent of the exports last year were made up by exports. The company expects to register a turnover of Dh10 million this year.
This year it exported its products to Europe for the first time. Al Raien’s regular export destinations are Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
The exports to Europe included stainless steel fabricated items for furniture manufacturers.
The company is currently building an additional fabrication facility which will cover an area of 2,700 sq m. It will be ready by the end of 2008 and enable the company to take on additional contracts and work on a larger scale.
Al Raien’s product range includes architectural metal work, access panels and enclosures, display stands and showroom fittings, customised metal furniture, airport signage and counters and food equipment.
Currently it is involved with high-profile projects in the UAE such as Garhoud Bridge, Bur Dubai Development, Dubai Festival City, Sharjah Airport Expansion and the Jebel Ali Airport. Over the years, Al Raien has been associated with prestigious Dubai projects including Emirates Tower, Burj Al Arab, Madinat Jumeirah, Mall of the Emirates and Dubai International Airport.
Among projects in other Gulf states, the company worked on the Khaleefa Stadium and the Sports City Tower in Qatar.
“The company has surpassed its consolidation phase and entered into high-growth cycles,” says Bhattacharya.
“The open and progressive policy of the government has provided a conducive environment to the organisation to prosper and flourish.”
Bhattacharya observed that the UAE had one of the fastest growing economies in the world. A massive construction boom, an expanding manufacturing base and a thriving services sector were helping it diversify its economy. “Nationwide there are currently $350 billion worth of active construction projects and all fundamentals suggest the economy will continue to grow and offer immense opportunities,” he added.
Al Raien was founded in 1990 by Lawrence D’Souza, the present managing director, who has 49 per cent of the shareholding. Khalid Ramazan Kaidi Mohammed owns 51 per cent of the company.
“We started as general fabricators of structural steel and since then have grown into a prominent unit widely recognised for our commitment to quality,” said Bhattacharya.
Al Raien’s production facilities cover all the basic machinery for metal working and finishing including a CNC laser-cutting machine and CNC punching machine which enable the company to perform intricate fabrications to very close tolerances. It works with a variety of metals and materials such as steel, stainless steel, aluminium, copper, brass and bronze.
The quality system at Al Raien complies with ISO 9001:2000. An important raw material, stainless steel, is sourced in Europe, South America, South Africa, Japan and Taiwan.
“Over the past 17 years, we have gathered the requisite knowledge, skill and experience to provide specialised metal fabrications to palaces, airports, hotels and industrial and commercial establishments. By providing the entire gamut of metal working including designing, fabricating, mechanical and electrochemical finishing, assembling and installation, Al Raien has become a one-stop service provider in the metal working industry,” said Bhattacharya.
The company has been able to innovate along the way as customers put in specific requirements. The special customised work it has accomplished includes cladding with aged copper on a 5 m diameter half-dome involving 3D rolling, manufacturing curved access panels with curvatures meeting site requirements and replacing pneumatic conveyors by adjustable drive belt conveyors.
It is currently working on a 2.5 km stainless steel handrail which involves designing, fabrication and installation.