ARABIAN Building Support and Rehabilitation Company (Absar), which specialises in concrete repair and marine works, reports excellent business despite the global economic downturn, with a 50 per cent increase in its turnover last year.

“Despite the competition in the market, we have registered good growth,” says Abdullah Khattab, business development manager of Absar.
Khattab attributes this to the fact that the company has established a sound reputation in the market and is staffed by a select team of well-qualified engineers and technicians.
“The company’s qualified engineering and technical staff has been providing guidance and on-the-job supervision to our clients, while focusing on quality and efficient customer service,” he says.
Operating since 1980 as a division of the Bin Tami Development Company, Absar became an independent entity in 1991 under the umbrella of the holding company and has grown from strength to strength.
Driven by its success in executing and managing projects, the management decided to diversify into marine works, which is now a core growth area of its Specialized Projects Unit (SPU).
This field of operations has given a new direction to the company, with the scope of activities being berth maintenance, installation of fenders (cylindrical, wheel fenders and other types), and construction of new berths, among a host of activities.
“We met with instant success when we launched into this activity, thanks to our reputation in the market. Our company possesses the marine equipment necessary for carrying out such types of works. In addition, we have recruited qualified engineers and well-trained technicians, including certified divers, in order to handle marine works,” Khattab says.
The firm is also equipped with up-to-date underwater photography and video recording systems.
Absar has carried out many government projects such as royal naval bases in Jeddah and Qadeema, Jubail, and Yanbu commercial port.
“Absar has recently completed the concrete repair works for the berths at Yanbu commercial port, which was carried out underwater at a depth of 12 m,” Khattab explains.
The company is currently engaged in a government contract to erect floating berths in the Eastern and Western regions.  “We are exerting every effort to ensure that the scope of marine works we offer is on par with that provided by international companies,” he adds.
Apart from concrete repair and marine works, the company’s other activities encompass internal and external waterproofing and insulation works; structural engineering; re-surfacing and floor coating; industrial painting; and cathodic protection.
Absar, an ISO9001:2000-certified company, has commercial ties with many international companies for the supply of know-how as well as all types of fenders, floating berths and marine equipment with related accessories.
The Riyadh-based company’s main areas of operations are the Eastern and Western Provinces but it is keen to expand its horizons to cover the entire kingdom. Absar currently has branch offices in Al Khobar, Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah.
Some of its key clients include King Faisal University, King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Saline Water Conversion Corporation, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabian Airlines, King Abdulaziz Military Academy, Saudi Electricity Company, and the ministries of interior, petroleum, planning, industry and electricity, defence and aviation, and post, telephone and telegraph.