AHMED Mansoor Al A’ali’s Structural and Mechanical Division (AMA-SMD) has its eyes set on major projects in the region especially Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar and is currently looking for partnerships with engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors.

“We are entering into strategic alliances to ensure that we participate in many of the large-scale projects in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the wider region,” says Alan Gair, the general director of the Bahrain-based division.

He continues: “SMD is looking to partner with specialist EPC contractors as our company has the necessary experience to fabricate anything, such is the breadth of our facilities. We are supplying pot shells to many of the leading aluminium smelters in the Middle East and as far afield as North America.”

Gair is optimistic for 2013 and beyond.

AMA’s steel fabrication facility was established in 1990 to provide products and services for primary industries including petrochemical, chemical, oil and gas, steel and power sectors. Its scope includes design, detail engineering, procurement of materials, fabrication, blasting and painting and delivery to site for structural steel; process and utility piping; plate steel for furnaces, heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs), ducts and miscellaneous works; process equipment including heat exchangers, vessels, storage tanks; pot shells, crucibles and superstructures; and modular skids.

Since its inception, AMA-SMD has undertaken key projects with major fabricators and steel companies across the region while continuously expanding its portfolio.

Currently, SMD is completing the supply of 721 pot shells to the Ma’aden aluminium plant in Ras Al Khair, north of Jubail in Saudi Arabia, under a $45-million contract to be completed this month.

“We are ahead of schedule and to ensure timely delivery SMD has been shipping the pot shells from our jetty in Hidd to the new port at Ras Al Khair. SMD is also supplying aluminium ductwork directly to the Ma’aden smelter too,” Gair says. “SMD can provide a competitive edge to our quality assured production with our manufacturing efficiencies and fabrication expertise as well as leveraging from Bahrain’s strategic advantages in facilitating shipments into Saudi Arabia and the region.”

Gair considers the AMA facility in Bahrain to be the “best in the Middle East” not only because of the scale of the facilities and the state-of-the-art equipment but the fact that more than 32,000 sq m are covered areas.

“This capacity, including two lines for the equipment we supply to the aluminium sector, is formidable. Added to our continuous investment programme, a qualified and experienced workforce and strategic location in Bahrain, SMD provides a formidable value proposition to our increasing number of clients,” he said.

Since the early 1990s, Gair has been involved in key projects across the Middle East with 20 years experience at the highest levels working with top fabricators and steel companies in Saudi Arabia including Belleli and later Zamil Steel.
“We have a great facility and with our proven quality assured capabilities, SMD can provide steel fabrication to the oil and gas, petrochemical, process, steel and power sectors. In Bahrain, we supply the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) and Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC) and currently are providing concrete ground storage tanks for EWA (Electricity and Water Authority) and additional pump stations,” Gair says.

“Although Saudi Arabia is obviously an important market for SMD, we are looking to expand on our supply contracts in Kuwait and other GCC states, Africa, North America and Europe.

“In terms of the pot shells supplied to Ma’aden, Alba (Aluminium Bahrain), Qatalum (Qatar Aluminium Company), Sohar Aluminium, Emal (Emirates Aluminium)and customers in North America, we are dealing with top clients and EPC contractors such as Bechtel, JGC and Black & Veatch.

“SMD is well recognised in international markets and we deliver our fabrications through our knowledge partners across the region. Despite the challenges, we are seeing growth coming through the region and there are many large projects under way in Saudi Arabia such as Sadara and the Ma’aden expansion, so I am optimistic for 2013 and beyond,” he says.

During the construction of Alba’s line five, AMA-SMD completed nine million man hours on site without a single lost time accident for the two largest contractors, Alstom and Solios. SMD also achieved three million man hours without a lost time injury at the Bapco site.

Employing over 700 skilled craftsmen and professionals, the AMA-SMD facility is one of the biggest of its kind in the Middle East with its covered area of 32,000 sq m, nine large workshops, a blasting and painting shop, and over 150,000 sq m of open yard.

Established in 1954, Ahmed Mansoor Al A’ali (AMA Group) is today one of the largest and most reputed conglomerates in Bahrain active in trading, manufacturing, contracting and real estate business.