A new plant that Saudi Arabia’s premier precast manufacturer Qanbar Dywidag has set up in Rabigh, in the kingdom’s western region, has more than doubled its production capacity and come at a time when construction activity in the kingdom is gathering pace.

Additionally, Qanbar Dywidag Precast Concrete Company (QDC) plans to boost production capacity at its Jubail facilities by 10 per cent with the installation of new production lines and is keen on technological developments that can enhance the quality of its products.

The Rabigh facility, which has reinforced the company’s position in its area of specialisation, went on stream earlier this year with a production capacity of 280,000 cu m per year of precast concrete. QDC’s two other plants in Jubail Industrial City can together produce 220,000 cu m of the material.

Jubail Industrial City-based QDC has products varying from standard precast concrete elements to prestressed girders and slabs. Its scope of work covers design, manufacture, delivery and installation of precast and prestressed concrete components in accordance with specifications based on internationals standards.

The company serves as a one-stop shop for all precast and prestressed concrete requirements – from standard precast concrete elements and products such as paving and interlock  tiles, manholes and seating to boundary walls, external cladding panels, prestressed hollocore slabs, double-tee slabs and precast domes, prestressed long-span girders and full-frame systems utilising walls beams and columns.

Qanbar Dywidag's hotest plant in Rabigh

The latest plant is cashing in on demand in the western region. “We are currently supplying to several projects from our Rabigh facility,” says Ahmed Sameh, QDC marketing manager. “These include Taibah University in Madinah and Al Sultan Tower in Jeddah. We’re also supplying our building fames for two-storey villas for a Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) housing project in Yanbu.”

More projects
While QDC is reaping the benefits from the new Rabigh plant’s output, the company has several ongoing projects for which it is making supplies from its other plants.

Projects it is currently supplying include the soon-to-be-completed landmark Samsung Naffora Techno Valley (SNTV) complex in the Royal Commission’s Jubail Industrial City. The multi-use complex, which sports QDC’s precast cladding panels and double-tee slabs, comprises eight buildings and will serve as the global networking link between Samsung Engineering’s head office and its overseas branches.

The complex includes facilities for research and development, training, education, safety, engineering, conventions, well-being and sports as well as a dormitory, guest houses and site security centres.

Ongoing Eastern Province projects having QDC participation include a Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu housing project in Jubail which calls for the supply of full building frames for the construction of 538 villas and 20 apartment buildings; King Faisal University, Al Ahsa and Dammam, which entails the supply of cladding elements, double-tee slabs and hollowcore slabs; and substations for Sceco and Saudi Aramco.

In Riyadh, cladding work using QDC elements is nearing completion on the Royal Saudi Land Forces (RSLF) headquarters building.

Sameh is optimistic of surging demand for precast, the Saudi Government having launched several development projects in the fields of infrastructure and building construction.

An example of great finishing from QDC

“Considering lead time, quality, easy maintenance and finishing beauty, precast is playing a major role in the infrastructure and building construction sectors. Qanbar expects to secure a large number of contracts based on its market leadership, reputation and the sound relationship it has enjoyed with clients and main contractors in the country,” he says.

QDC was formed in 1981 as a partnership between Sheikh Abdul Razzak Mohammed Qanbar Al Ansari, a leading businessman in the Eastern Province, and Dycherhoff and Widmann (Dywidag), one of the largest German general contractors and precast concrete manufacturers.  In January 2002, Al Ansari bought Dywidag’s entire shareholding, becoming the sole owner of QDC. Dywidag continues to provide technical support to the company.

The company is staffed by 2,000 skilled an experienced personnel and has sales offices in Jubail, Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah.