SAUDI ARABIA continues to be a major market for Kirby Building Systems where strong investment by both the public and private sectors is driving growth in the construction sector.

As a global leader in pre-engineered steel buildings (PEB) and steel structures, the company is reinforcing its presence in the market in a bid to service its customers all over the kingdom.

“The recent announcements about investments in heavy industries, manufacturing and social infrastructure all bode well for Kirby,” says a company spokesman.

“With state-of-the-art plants in Kuwait, the UAE, India and Vietnam which have a combined capacity of 425,000 tonnes, we can manufacture and deliver a large number of customised steel buildings every year, meeting project deadlines and surpassing the required quality levels,” he adds.

Kirby has completed and supplied various projects in Saudi Arabia. These include the Centre Point shopping mall, ATI abrasive material factory and Giant stores hypermarket in Dammam; the King Khaled International Airport (KKIA) aircraft maintenance centre and King Saud University’s Prince Sultan Cultural Centre in Riyadh; and the Ikea shopping mall in Jeddah.

Other landmark projects completed include the Adan Hospital in Kuwait, the Enma Mall in Bahrain and Renault-Nissan factory in India,

“The Adan Hospital is one of the biggest general governmental hospitals in Kuwait serving 600,000 people living in the Al Ahmadi region,” the spokesman explains. “The hospital building comprises a basement and a ground level and six other floors. The 37.45-m-high building has a total floor area of 12,620 sq m.”

Centre Point shopping mall

The Enma Mall, which is yet to open, boasts a contemporary modern design and aims to offer high-quality shopping facilities and entertainment, in addition to restaurants. The 56,000-sq-m facility was designed by renowned architect Aref Sadiq Consultants and features a boat-shaped façade.

“Kirby Bahrain secured the contract to design and supply the steel structure that houses the Enma Mall. The design features our curved beam solution that facilitates the creation of the boat-shaped architectural façade. Not only are the curved beams used to support the main roof but also to provide the innovative side fascia that is enhanced with aluminium panels,” says the spokesman.

The 350,000-sq-m factory built for Renault-Nissan in Chennai, India, is described as the world’s largest pre-engineered steel structure and was successfully delivered by Kirby last year.

Kirby has successfully incorporated both curved built-up members and open web joists in the Enma Mall project.

Since 2008, Kirby has successfully incorporated both curved built-up members and open web joists (OWJs) into many projects including the Enma Mall.

“These products give architects the ability to think outside the box when it comes to using steel, not only to make the building more cost-effective and durable but also to allow for contemporary modern designs,” says the spokesman.
OWJs are used in applications such as hypermarkets, aircraft hangars and warehouses that require large spans. “Open web joists are one of the most economical load-sharing systems in today’s construction world. And Kirby has successfully incorporated these in projects for Metro Cash n Carry hypermarkets as well as for several airport facilities projects across the region,” he says.

The regional market remains strong for pre-engineered and structural steel buildings, especially in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, the spokesman continues.

In a bid to increase awareness in the market of its capabilities, Kirby continues to exhibit in regional exhibitions, the most recent being the inaugural Big 5 Saudi Arabia (February 27 to March 2) in Jeddah and Buildex Dammam (March 13 to 17), where it showcased its capabilities in designing, manufacturing, transporting and erecting PEBs. Also promoted at these events were its new product solutions such as structural steel, OWJs and curved built–up members.

The Adan Hospital ... a recent Kirby project.

Kirby has more than 30 years of experience in supplying steel structures to 70 countries worldwide with a workforce of over 1,500 and manufacturing facilities that spread over a total area of 350,000 sq m in the Middle East.

In operation since 1976, the Kuwait-headquartered company maintains a strong reputation for providing cost-effective solutions for buildings manufactured to the highest standards and latest codes of practice.

Kirby has a network of more than 70 offices in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Indian subcontinent and south-east Asia to service customers globally. Its manufacturing facilities produce hundreds of custom-made steel buildings each year with experience in more than 50,000 projects worldwide.