Four Points debuts in Riyadh

STARWOOD Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has announced the debut of the Four Points in Saudi Arabia with the new Four Points by Sheraton Riyadh Khaldia.

Owned by Khaldia Towers Company, a partnership between Al Jedaie Group and Al Hokair Group, the hotel is located 20 minutes from Riyadh’s business district and 45 minutes from the King Khalid International Airport. Four Points by Sheraton Riyadh Khaldia will feature 376 guest rooms including 138 suites, all fitted with the brand’s signature Four Comfort Bed and modern bathrooms.

BASF role in sustainability highlighted

BASF, the global chemical giant, in coordination with its regional offices is playing an active role in its circles of influence in promoting sustainable development.

In line with this, Saudi BASF arranged four conferences in March, focusing on high-performance concrete and sustainable material for green construction, in Jubail, Al Khobar, Riyadh and Jeddah. Separately, it participated in the Energy Campaign by Saudi Aramco in April.

At the conferences, technical manager at Aecom Dr James Aldered explored practical considerations relating to high-performance concrete from the specification stage to final stage of curing. Dr Dirk Funhoff, currently head of BASF European Construction Competence Centre, highlighted ways to assess sustainability from the viewpoints of society, ecology and economy. David Bowerman, BASF admixture business segment manager for Middle East, West Asia, CIS and Africa, demonstrated how admixture technology can improve the quality of placed concrete and reduce lifecycle costs of building.

Gulf Capital to back major project

GULF Capital, one of the largest and most active alternative investment firms in the Middle East, has signed a SR450-million ($119 million) ground-breaking financing facility deal to help finance the first real estate development of Gulf Related in Saudi Arabia.

Gulf Related is a leading regional real estate joint development venture between Gulf Capital and Related Companies, one of the largest private real estate development and investment firms in the US.

The deal signed with National Commercial Bank (NCB) is a 10-year facility that will allow Gulf Related to leverage its investments in the kingdom, following the announcement last year of a 157,000-sq-m multi-million-dollar high-end residential project in Riyadh.

Sabic launches new plant in Jubail

SAUDI Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) opened its first engineering thermoplastics compounding facility as well as a new polypropylene compounding (PPc) plant at its manufacturing affiliate, Saudi Specialty Chemicals Company, in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

These facilities will make it easier for customers to access a diverse material offering, provide local options for custom colour matching and offer the potential for shorter lead times.

In the initial phase, the engineering thermoplastics compounding plant will produce Sabic’s Lexan, Cycoloy and Valox resins, which are commonly used in multiple industries from consumer electronics
to healthcare, from transportation to building and construction.

The PPc plant will produce glass, chalk and talc filled grades that will strengthen Sabic’s global footprint and serve customers in auto and non-auto sectors.

Hörmann sets up new Doha office

HÖRMANN Middle East, a leading industrial, commercial and residential door manufacturer, has expanded its presence in the region with the opening of a new office in Doha, Qatar.

This is the second office for Hörmann in the region after its regional headquarters and assembly plant in the UAE. Hörmann provides the latest technology and designs in garage doors, entrance doors, internal doors, fire doors and smoke-tight door assemblies, industrial doors, loading technology, frames and windows.

It also offers wicket doors with trip-free thresholds.

In Qatar, Hörmann has installed doors and related products like dock levellers, Decotherm and roller shutters for various clients like the College of Media and Communication, Turkish Embassy in Doha, Jaidha Square, the Energy Centre at The Pearl-Qatar, Weil Cornell Medical College Doha, Al Kissa Villa, Logistics Village Phase Two, Nakilat Phase 4A and Ras Laffan Port extension.

Dhofar opens regional office in Qatar

AWARD-WINNING UAE-based washroom solutions company Dhofar Global Trading Company has opened a regional office in the Qatari capital, Doha, as a first foothold in its Gulf-wide expansion strategy.

Located in Doha’s new Barwa Village business hub, the full-service operation encompasses a 5,400-sq-ft warehouse facility and a 15-strong launch team of washroom solutions experts. In addition to its comprehensive range of hygiene tissue paper products, dispensers, gloves and other disposable items, Dhofar will introduce a number of new product ranges.

A new range of economy to super premium hand dryers will be launched in Qatar, along with washroom accessories for the disabled, an anti-fingerprint coated (AFP) line and feet sanitising dispensers, as well as specialised stainless steel washroom accessories.