DORMA, a market leader in premium access solutions, says it is looking to increase its investment as well as its presence in Bahrain, in response to a significant improvement in the market.

The company is now initiating a new business model to spearhead its growth in the country, with the appointment of a dedicated Dorma team member this month (January) to serve the market.

“There has been a revival in the Bahrain market, which holds good potential for growth and we feel the need to increase our investment in Bahrain,” says Mohammed Nawarah, the Riyadh-based country manager for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, pointing out that despite the recession, Dorma maintained a presence and continued to be active in the Bahrain market.

Dorma recently celebrated a decade of partnership with its Bahrain partner Masy Holding, which handles its automatic doors business in the country.

Masy Holding, which specialises in high-quality architectural and building finishing components and systems, has been serving the Bahrain market since 2003 with automatic doors through Dorma Arabia Automatic Doors in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

To date, through its partnership with Masy, Dorma has successfully supplied and installed more than 800 sliding doors and more than 30 revolving doors in prominent projects in Bahrain. One of the most prestigious projects handled by Masy and Dorma in Bahrain is the landmark King Hamad University Hospital, one of the largest single public health projects ever undertaken in Bahrain, which features 40 automatic doors. Other Dorma projects executed through Masy include the Bahrain World Trade Centre with four revolving doors and 30 automatic doors, the Regency Hotel, the Gulf Hotel, Crown Plaza, Kempinksi Grand hotel, Ministry of Interior buildings, Seef Mall and many others.

Apart from Masy, Dorma has also partnered with the Almoayyed Group for the architectural hardware segment of its business.

Through these partnerships, Dorma is currently supplying a key headquarters project for Al Baraka Group at Bahrain Bay, a prominent waterfront real estate development in the heart of the capital Manama. “We are in the final stages of this project, which we have implemented with the support of our partners Masy and Almoayyed Group. We have been involved right from the initial stages of the project, having started at the specification stage through our project management team in Dubai (UAE),” says Nawarah.

For the Al Baraka Group headquarters, it has supplied a revolving door for the main entrance of the building as well as cam-action door closers and high-end European architectural hardware.

Another ongoing project is the traffic buildings at the Bahrain-Saudi Causeway, where it is supplying six units of Dorma’s BST curved sliding doorsets. The project is due for completion at the end of this month (January).

Among its recently completed projects is the supply of door hardware for the furnished apartments at Porta Reef at Reef Island in Manama.

Nawarah is leading the Dorma business in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and is spearheading the company’s ambitious growth plans for the region.

Following the imminent appointment of a dedicated staff member in Bahrain, Dorma intends to showcase its strengths in innovation with the launch of two new door products on the market, namely the C80 Magneo automatic door and the Alexa frame.

Magneo, a winner of the red dot design award, is believed to be the world’s first automatic sliding door with magnetic technology for the interiors of any building. A highly appealing feature of this system, which is safe and reliable, is its silent operation.

Featuring intelligent silent magnetic technology, outstanding user convenience and versatility, soft-motion safety and superior and inspiring slender contour design, Magneo has opened avenues for a wide field of applications, he says.

“No wonder architects and interior designers are finding it an inviting solution for hassle-free, prestigious entrances to modern luxurious interior environments – be they in hotels, offices, clinics, spas, restaurants or even private homes,” he adds.

The Magneo doors can be operated using various modes including push button, radar motion detector, radio remote control and auto switch.

“The door moves on low energy; it will stop, open and close on soft contact. It is absolutely safe for interiors, particularly business and private environments, due to its soft motion technology. Apart from the aesthetics, its various functions offer high level of comfort,” he explains.

The system comes with a concealed locking mechanism and unauthorised access is prevented by the key switch control. The operator can be easily used for different types of panels like glass, wood and metal doors.

The second new product that Dorma is planning to introduce in Bahrain is Alexa, a versatile and space-saving interior glass wall system which offers the benefits of glass including transparency, daylight, versatility, efficiency, space saving, energy saving and low cost of ownership.

Alexa frames are adopted by corporate, retail brands and private homes around the world to display and demonstrate innovation, transparency and professionalism at their workplace and/or projects, Nawarah adds.

With its perfect ‘super narrow’ aluminium frame suitable for glass assemblies, Alexa is designed to suit Dorma glass fittings. These frames support single-action fittings with standard rebate depth of 24 mm. The AT44/AT23 and AT50 frame profiles, in combination with MR28 wall connecting profiles, provide solutions for a wide range of standard openings. Selected Dorma door closers can also be integrated with the system for closing action.

As a trusted global partner for premium access solutions and services, Dorma accords high priority to performance and innovative technologies using high-quality systems. It was Dorma that developed the cam-action technology for slide channel door closers – a milestone in barrier-free interiors – as well as the world’s first integrated door closer (ITS 96).

“Numerous patents serve to document our innovative strengths including the Magneo automatic sliding door operator with its magnetic technology and Alexa interior glass wall systems,” says Nawarah.

Other innovations launched by Dorma internationally include the Visur glass swing door systems and the new generation of swing door operators – Dorma ED 100/250 series.

Visur glass swing doors promise 100 per cent transparency without any visible fittings on an ‘all-glass’ double action door panel.

“Visur’s double-action glass doors present the door in perfect transparency with purest clarity due to the hardware components being concealed in the surrounding structure. The absence of visible fittings means that the all-glass double-action door will match any room style, making the Visur system a real boon to any luxurious and inventive interior design.

“Frameless from top to toe, Visur makes life easier for architects and designers. The system simply remains a discrete presence, fitting in with every design idea and reflecting it to maximum advantage,” he says.

Visur has completed 500,000 operating cycles in its endurance test, ensuring high durability. The system has an option to conceal RTS 85 closers within the overhead transom tube. The closer has features to keep the doors open at 90 degrees and back check damping to prevent damage to doors due to excessive opening force.

Dorma, recognised as a leader in premium access solutions and services, has been operating for more than 100 years. Headquartered in Ennepetal in Germany, the group has more than 7,000 employees worldwide with 77 wholly owned companies in 50 countries. With major production facilities in Europe, Singapore, Asia, China, and North and South America, Dorma registered a record $1.3 billion in global net sales in 2012.

Its head office for the Middle East and Africa (Mena) region is located in Jebel Ali, Dubai. Dorma began making inroads in the Middle Eastern markets in the early 70s. After more than two decades of continuous growth, Dorma launched a presence in the Middle East with the opening of Dorma Gulf Door Controls in Dubai, in 1997 followed by Saudi Arabia, a recent acquisition in Kuwait and an office in Qatar.

Dorma has a regional network of dealerships, agencies and wholly-owned companies with presence in almost all major cities in the Middle East and North Africa.

In 2013, Dorma inaugurated the state-of-the-art Dorma World of Access – Design Center on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE, providing a venue for all building professionals in the region to converge and experience a 360-degree access to access technology.