KEF Holdings (KEF), a UAE-based manufacturer of steel castings and valves, last month inaugurated a state-of-the-art facility at Sharjah’s Hamriyah Free Zone, making it the first integrated manufacturer of industrial valves in the Middle East.

The new 50,000-sq-m facility will be operated by JC Valves Sharjah, a KEF business and certified manufacturer of industrial valves.
The facility will produce a comprehensive and specialised range of industrial valves for the Middle East’s thriving oil, gas, petrochemical and energy sectors.
The expansion follows Dubai International Capital’s acquisition of a 45-per-cent stake in KEF Holdings in September.
The inauguration was attended by Dr Rashid Al Leem, director general, Sharjah Hamriyah Free Zone Authority; Venu Rajamony, counsul general of India; Faizal Kottikollon, KEF Holding’s founder and CEO; and Anand Krishnan, chief operating officer of Dubai International Capital.
Also attending the ceremony were representatives of key clients of KEF including Aramco, Enoc, Dubai Petroleum, Takreer, Gasco, Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Gas, Kuwait Oil Company, Total, Petroleum Development Oman, and Occidental Petroleum.
“The launch of our new plant comes as a significant leap, not only for KEF Holdings, but also for the energy sector in the UAE and the wider region as a whole,” Kottikollon said. “We believe that this plant will bring much-needed self-reliance to the Middle East, reducing costs and time for our clients in the oil and gas, mining, industrial, and petrochemical industries in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the US.”
In order to meet the future demand for industrial valves, JC Valves Sharjah is also planning to construct a larger facility, which will occupy an area of 100,000 sq ft, situated adjacent to the current one at Hamriyah Free Zone.
Construction of the new facility will commence shortly and is expected to be completed by mid-2009.
KEF Holdings is the holding company of its two flagship businesses including JC Valves Sharjah and Emirates Techno Castings (ETC).