Al Muhaidib Metal Industries Company registered a five per cent increase in sales for the first nine months of 2001 compared with the corresponding period last year while also showing a higher proportion of exports.

Sales for the first three quarters of 2001 were SR105 million ($28 million) while those for the whole of 2000 were SR130 million, the company reported. The figure for 1999 was given as SR120 million.

Factory manager Maher Churbaji said 35 per cent of all sales this year went overseas compared with 27 per cent in 2000. The company's production facilities are in Riyadh's Second Industrial City and comprise factories for metal works, reinforcement steel, ornamental iron and aluminium and steel doors.

Churbaji said products that did very well well in exports were wheelbarrows, expanded metal, welded wire mesh and fire-rated steel doors.

"The company has proudly introduced a variety of metal products to local and foreign markets that cater to the construction industry as well as interior requirements," Churbaji said. Al Muhaidib Metal Industries, founded in 1982, is the recipient of the ISO 9002 certification.

The metal works division has one of the most modern steel processing units in the region and was set up in 1990 to supply indigenous products that were earlier imported and marketed by Al Muhaidib Building Materials Company.

The division's main products include wheelbarrows, decorative pipes, expanded metal meshes, galvanised iron wire, and chain link fences. In addition to sales within Saudi Arabia itself, consignments go to the other GCC states, Yemen, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Ghana, among other destinations.

The reinforced steel division was the first unit set up and currently the product range comprises cutting and bending of reinforced steel, welded wire mesh, cold drawn wire for reinforcement and straightening of reinforced coils, among other things. One of the important products of the division - cold drawn wire Ñ is manufactured in sizes from 5mm diameter to 12mm diameter. Cold drawn wire is distributed throughout the Kingdom and has a wide international clientele as well. The welded wire mesh line produces sizes that include 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 8mm and 12 mm with different spacing. The width and length is produced according to the shop drawing or the order specification. The division, whose factory has a covered area of 20,000 sq m, provides services in preparing shop drawing and bar-bending schedules enabling customers to save time, money and manpower.

The division has expanded its activities and a unit was opened in Jeddah to cater to customers in the Western Region.

The ornamental iron division, established in 1992, produces wrought iron products in furniture, interior decoration items, gate grilles, stair railings and fences. The factory is noted for is unique designs and elegant finish and has a capacity of 750 tonnes annually per shift.

The aluminium division is one of the most modern in the region. The main activities are the design, manufacture and installation of aluminium windows, doors, shop fronts, louvers, rolling shutters, curtain walls, structural glazing, skylights and automatic doors. The unit was established in 1993 and occupies an area of 5,000 sq m. The annual capacity of the unit is in excess of 350 tonnes per shift. The factory has four independent production lines and all systems are tested and calibrated by reputable laboratories in accordance with Din, BSI and Asim standards.

Technal of France exclusively designs Technical accessories for all its products as well as providing comprehensive engineering services and technical support for all its projects. All Technal systems are designed and tested by Technal to last beyond all their European standards. They are made to suit all weather conditions and climates for countries around the world. Al Muhaidib's aluminium factory is an authorised fabricator for ce extends to involvement in some of the world's most striking buildings including the world's tallest edifice, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the new trade centre in Hong Kong and the Microsoft Headquarters in the UK.

''These facts combined with full technical and logistical support from Napco, an ISO 9002 certified extruder, makes the company a potent new force in the market,'' a spokesman for the company says.

In recent years, Napco has been involved in the supply of aluminium extrusions through mars and the fire-resistant range combines strength and security for most requirements.