Curtain wall specialist Aluminium Manufacturing Co (Alumaco) continues its successful run, piling up ongoing projects worth SR150 million ($39.9 million) in Saudi Arabia, a senior official says.

Commercial manager Poosarla S Ganesh said the company had adequate facilities to meet present demand from contractors but would go in for an expansion if there was need for one. That would imply installing additional machinery at its plants and augmenting technical staff.

Alumaco, one of the largest curtain walling companies of the Middle East, has been expanding its production facilities from time to time and currently has two plants, one in Dammam occupying 16,000 sq m and another in Jeddah, 5,000 sq m. 

 “We’re now doing fine. We are working on projects worth around SR150 million to us,” Ganesh said in mid-October.

One of the major projects Alumaco is working on is the Jebel Omar Development in Makkah. The company will provide aluminium glazing for 10 towers for a total value of around SR50 million.

The company is nearing completion of its project at Zahran Buisiness Centre in Jeddah where its it had to perform 35,000 sq m of aluminium glazing work for a total value of SR35 million.

Among other projects the company is working on are the Dammam Business Centre, the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) Building in Jeddah and Al Faisal University Project, Phase 2, Riyadh.

The company began its operations in 1978 in Jeddah but several years later set up a larger base in Dammam while subsequently increasing facilities in Jeddah.  Alumaco’s head office is located in Dammam’s First Industrial City.

The Panasonic Tower in Kuwait, one of Alumaco’s completed projects

Agreement with Schuco
Alumaco, which boasts 10 associated companies, has a long-term exclusive licensing agreement with Schuco International from Germany, a leading curtain wall system designer, which allows the Saudi company to produce high-performance products locally.

The company has also made special agreements with Italy’s Aluk, China South Curtain Wall Company and Technal (France) to customise requirements from the Saudi market. Among the associated firms is Alumaco subsidiary Glass Specialised Industries (GSI) whose glass fabricating and glass tempering facilities are utilised by Alumaco.

Alumaco has an ISO 9001 certification and has its own internal quality management system conforming to Saudi Aramco standards.  The testing facilities follow the latest ASTM and AAMA standards. Testing of air and water infiltration and structural loading and impact tests are carried out among other checks.

“Over the years, Alumaco has met architectural challenges through the application of new technologies, unmatched product integrity and commitment,” a company statement said. Almost 95 per cent of the architectural units supplied are custom-designed.

As well as aluminium curtain walls, doors, windows and the skylight system, Alumaco’s broad range of activities includes fire-resistant and bullet-resistant doors and windows, aluminium claddings, space frames, ballustrades and handrails, steel and stainless steel fabrication, glass wall construction, external facades and internal finishing.

Completed projects
During the past 18 months the company completed several major schemes including the Riyadh Techno Valley and Deanship Building of King Saud University, Riyadh, and the new Tabuk Regional Airport.

Among other projects it completed during the period were Al Faisal University, Phase 1, Riyadh; several Riyadh Bank branches in Saudi Arabia, Al Mouwasat Medical Tower, Dammam, the Abdulla Fouad Headquarters and the 29-storey Hugayat Tower, both in Al Khobar, and the Panasonic Tower, Amiri Terminal Building and Aircraft Hangar among other facilities in Kuwait.