In little more than three decades, Dammam-based Saudi Arabian Amiantit Company has evolved into a world-class manufacturer of pipes, fittings, joints, tanks, insulation and rubber products used across the world.

Amiantit has played a key role in the dynamic development of Saudi Arabia's oil and gas industry, providing its cutting-edge products and services to clients including Saudi Aramco.

Manufacturing in the Kingdom and with a host of prestigious projects to its name there, the Amiantit Group can also draw upon the global strength and diversity of a wide range of subsidiary companies operating under the Amiantit umbrella.

''This worldwide presence means that skilled multinational manpower and manufacturing excellence are at hand across all product lines, while the group is well-positioned to understand and respond to global economic change,'' says a company spokesman.

He continues: ''Strengthening Amiantit's global scope was the establishment of an international division in 2000, which concentrates on investing in water management, trading and technology services.

''At the heart of the Amiantit Group's success is a proven track-record of sustainable, growth-oriented accomplishments in manufacturing, backed up with heavy investment in research and development and the technological expertise of its foreign partners.

''The company puts substantial resources into staff development and enhancing its IT capabilities, including implementing SAP. Sustainable success for Amiantit is achieved through a total commitment to exceptional standards of performance, effective teamwork, product quality, responsible behaviour, continuous learning and constant innovation.''

The company says that pipe technology will be the driver of its future growth, and has been proactive in marketing its own fibreglass pipe technologies C-Tech and Flowtite in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and China. Amiantit says it has developed these, and other, pipe technologies through in-house innovation, creativity, global alliances and networking.

To maintain its market-leading position in pipe manufacture, Amiantit is currently building two new pipe production facilities in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which are expected to start full commercial production this month. The Amitech Saudi Arabia plant has been designed to produce fibreglass pipes of 300 to 2,400 mm diameter, while the Amiantit Polyolefins Piping Systems Company will produce polypropylene and high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes.

These two new facilities - which represent a total investment of SR150 million ($40 million) - will be supported by Amiantit's pipe production technologies and comprise of basic laboratories, research and development centres and testing facilities.

Maximising production capacity at existing facilities and successful marketing policies in both the domestic and export markets meant that last year was a particularly profitable one for Amiantit, testimony to the group's approach to business where the needs of its clients are met with high quality, competitively-priced products and service.

Amiantit operates a large number of subsidiaries around the world. Its Saudi-based subsidiaries include: