GulfGuard announces plans for new float and coated glass lines

Saudi Guardian International Float Glass Company Ltd. (GulfGuard), a joint venture between Guardian Glass and the National Company for Glass Industries (ZOUJAJ), has announced its intention to develop a second float glass line and a second glass coater at its existing site in Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia. This announcement follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the joint venture partners at the U.S.–Saudi Business Forum in Washington, DC, organized by the Saudi Ministry of Investment on the occasion of the visit of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud on November 19.

The state-of-the-art sputter glass coater is expected to begin operations in 2027, followed by the float glass line in 2028, supporting GulfGuard’s ongoing commitment to meet the growing regional demand while enhancing local capabilities. This initiative underscores GulfGuard's contribution to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 objectives through technology advancement and regional economic development.

The new float line is expected to enhance GulfGuard’s capacity to serve customers across Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East. It is designed to produce standard clear float glass in thicknesses ranging from 4 to 12 mm in jumbo dimensions (up to 6 meters in length), with the capability to manufacture Guardian UltraClear^™ low-iron glass. These larger dimensions aim to help customers improve production yield by enabling optimized cutting patterns. The planned new advanced sputter coater will be capable of producing low-E and solar control glass, including Guardian SunGuard^™ double and triple silver high-performance coatings, developed to balance energy efficiency and visual appeal in a broad range of building applications. 

Architectural glass demand continues to increase across the Middle East, driven by rising urban development, the evolution of building standards, localization initiatives, and the development of large-scale projects across the region. In this context, the Jubail Industrial City site is envisaged to become a regional hub for high value-added products, providing customers with a wide selection of high-performance glass produced locally. This approach is intended to enhance project flexibility while also helping improve customers’ logistics through reliable regional availability and streamlined delivery processes.

Guus Boekhoudt, Global Executive Vice President, Guardian Glass says, “With this investment, GulfGuard is well positioned to help meet rising demand while strengthening the local supply chain and contributing to Saudi Arabia’s Local Content and Saudi Made programs. Having all these assets on one site will continue to extend our ability to deliver a broad range of high-performance glass products efficiently and provide added value to our customers and partners.”

Omar Al Humaidan, Chairman of ZOUJAJ adds, "The project reflects GulfGuard’s long-term commitment to Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East region, sustaining Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals and beyond. Through expanding our production capabilities and coating technologies, we strive to contribute to the Kingdom’s ambitions for growth and innovation.”

* Statements regarding future operations and anticipated demand are based on current expectations and are subject to change due to operational and market conditions.