Ras Al Khaimah gears for major growth

Indeed, RAK’s central location and low costs have become desirable for numerous companies looking to set up in the region.

The industrial sector is one of the pillars of the emirate’s economy, contributing around 30% of GDP in 2011, well up on the 23% at the end of last decade. While a detailed breakdown of each sector’s contribution is not available, the input of the glass sector is growing and is likely to continue to do so.

France-based Saverglass, the latest entry into the emirate’s industrial sector, announced on August 6 that it would be investing $93m to build a new production facility in RAK. The plant, which will cover 100,000 sq metres and have a staff of 180, will be located in one of the industrial zones managed by the RAK Investment Authority (RAKIA). Saverglass expects its new facility to be operational by the beginning of 2013. When at full capacity, the plant will have a production output of some 150m bottles annually.

Saverglass, which specialises in designing, producing and decorating luxury bottles and glassware, intends to use its new Middle East base to better access markets in the region, as well as in Asia and Africa. The company primarily produces coloured bottles for commercial use, in particular for wine, perfume and food products. Saverglass stated that easy access to raw materials and energy, as well as low labour and construction costs, were key to the decision to set up shop in RAK.

A number of glass producers have set up shop in the emirate in recent years.

“RAK’s emergence as an important glass hub in the MENA region is a key indicator of the growing importance of the Emirate” says Derek Burston, Exhibition Director Gulf Glass 2013. “It is with this in mind, and the fact that Dubai offers such an attractive global meeting place for the glass industry, that next year’s Gulf Glass exhibition has already attracted record levels of enquiry for space bookings, and we still have a year until the show” he adds.

Gulf Glass 2013 takes place on 3-5 September 2013 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.  For more information contact us directly, or visit us at Glasstec,  in Hall 13, Stand D67.