Kone, which has been active in the elevator and escalator sector in Saudi Arabia since 1979, restructured its operations in the Kingdom in 1991, after which it became known as Arabian Elevator and Escalator Company (Areeco).

Areeco is now one of the five largest companies in Saudi Arabia's vertical transportation industry, serving both the private and public sectors across the country through a network of offices in Dammam, Riyadh, Madinah, Makkah and Jeddah.

With its procurement capability and direct access to all Kone resources worldwide - notably its manufacturing plants and spare parts centre - Areeco enjoys great flexibility in sourcing materials to meet all customer demands, demanding delivery requirements as well as meeting international safety codes and SASO (Saudi Arabian Standards Organisation) regulations.

The company's sales force applies computer-aided sales and marketing techniques to ensure regular product updates, compliance with codes of practice and full customer satisfaction.

Among the major product lines it is promoting in Saudi Arabia is the innovative MonoSpace concept, for which Kone has won many awards from major engineering and environment committees around the world. MonoSpace is suitable for a wide range of low to mid-rise buildings. While offering many benefits such as cost reduction in building construction and long-term power consumption, the new technology also reduces noise and increases the safety of end-users and maintenance workers, according to Areeco.

"The secret behind the MonoSpace concept is a new hoisting unit, which is economically, ecologically and technologically ahead of its rivals in the industry," says an Areeco spokesman. "The EcoDisc is a complete AC gearless hoisting unit - so compact, it can be mounted onto the guide rail in a standard shaft.

"The controller is conveniently located out of sight inside the elevator shaft and no separate machine room is needed. This new innovation ensures a long life for the motor because of its low revolving speed of an average of 95 rev/min compared to the customary 1,500 to 1,800 rev/min in a geared traction motor."

Areeco provides a complete after-sales service throughout the life of the elevator/escalator and ensures customer satisfaction, he points out.

The company also has a quality control department to ensure a high standard of services. The department conducts regular inspection at different sites and discusses the results with senior management so that corrective action, where required, is taken promptly and effectively.

Over the past two decades, the company has carried out many successful projects which have been recognised by the elevator industry as "outstanding achievements", according to the spokesman.

These include: the Holy Mosque in Makkah (156 units), the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah (140 units), King Fahad International Airport in Dammam (105 units), Prince Abdullah Endowment complex in Madinah (57 units), Intercontinental hotels in Makkah and Madinah (67 units) and Al Diyafah Shopping Mall in Makkah (23 units).

"Areeco's objective is to keep working towards its goal of being the 'best in town', by continuously enhancing customer services and improving the quality of its work nationwide," the spokesman concludes.