Saudi Vitrified Clay Pipe Company (SVCP), which completed its latest expansion in 2009, is looking at achieving higher exports.

General manager Mahmood Abu Jubara said exports were currently 24 per cent of total sales and the company aimed to have this level rise to 30 per cent.

“SVCP is concentrating on export as a strategic marketing tool,” said Abu Jabara. The company’s products are being shipped to all GCC countries, Yemen, Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, the Far East and Western Europe.

Sales in the first half of 2011 were SR131 million ($34.9 million) against SR245 million in the whole of 2010 and SR225 million in 2009.

The company was established in 1977 as a Saudi, German and Belgian joint venture with an initial production capacity of 24,000 tonnes per year of pipes and fittings at its Riyadh plant, which was later increased to 100,000 tonnes. A second production facility was opened in 2009 in Riyadh which doubled capacity to 200,000 tonnes. The facilities incorporate more than 13 different production lines enabling a great deal of flexibility in  terms of size and type.

The clay used by SVCP is quarried locally from areas around Riyadh. “The very long research and development carried out on clay preparation and mixing has allowed us to produce high-quality pipes with higher physical properties that are able to meet all international standards,” said Abu Jubara. 

The company became a public joint stock operation where the main shareholders are Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz  bin Faisal Al Saud (15 per cent), Abdul Latif Al Isa Holding Group (15.62 per cent), Dr Saad Saud Al Sayari (13.34 per cent) and Abdullah Suliman Al Dabaan (5.55 per cent).

SVCP has been involved with a number of sewerage, road and housing projects across Saudi Arabia, the Ruwais Port development, (UAE) and the Lusail Infrastructure Project and Lusail Entertainment City (both in Qatar), among other schemes.