Aluminium and Light Industries Company (Alico), the leading curtain walling company in the Middle East, has a proven reputation established across the region and internationally for producing premium-quality aluminium glazed systems. 

Alico also designs, manufactures and installs doors, windows and skylight systems, aluminium panel and stainless steel cladding, balustrades and handrails, steel and stainless steel fabrications and other related systems. 
Alico’s headquarters are based in the UAE and the company employs more than 2,200 people in its various plants and affiliates worldwide.
For almost three decades, Alico has progressively implemented its technology-driven policy of manufacturing, fabrication and engineering excellence to meet the exacting architectural challenges of the Middle East to become one of the leading players in the region and a growing international presence.
A comprehensive design service allows Alico to manufacture customised engineering solutions to the requirements of consultants and clients. Its Technical Design Department employs fully qualified engineers and technicians operating more than 80 computer-aided design (CAD) stations. Experienced factory managers and supervisors ensure exacting standards and production targets are met with all procedures following guidelines set down by Alico in accordance with ISO 9001 requirements.
Alico’s installation teams consist of highly-trained, skilled and experienced field operatives with established lines of communication between the work site, the technical design department and the factory, ensuring that clients are provided with optimum and cost-effective practical solutions.
Two coating lines at Alico’s factory offer high-quality finishing in either Kynar PVDF fluoropolymer wet coating, or dry-applied polyester powder coating.
In addition to these in-house capabilities, Alico – being part of the Gibca Group of Companies, draws on the enormous resources within the group, enabling it to provide integrated facade solutions to the industry. Apart from the financial, management, technical and production resources of the group, Alico has access to glass processing of the highest quality, and quality decorative glass, architectural cast aluminium products and GRC and GRP facade products.

Schuco
Alico has recognised the importance of strong international partners and since the early 1980s, Schuco International – a world market leader with a turnover in excess of Euro 2 billion ($2.58 million) and a reputation for total quality – has been its main technology partner. Alico is considered its biggest exclusive-licensed fabricator in the world outside Europe. It has the exclusivity for Schuco products in the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait.
Schuco Middle East (a group company) was established recently to exclusively market the Schuco Systems in other countries in the Middle East and Africa, including Saudi Arabia. 
Schuco only licenses companies that meet strict quality production and fabrication criteria and Alico has continually met these requirements. Schuco products are constantly assessed, developed and tested, seeking the latest innovative ideas which can be developed into systems of the highest quality to satisfy the demands in various countries worldwide. Schuco’s testing centre – the biggest in Europe – continuously undertakes testing on system products, accessories and fittings, to conform with all recognised international standards.
For coating systems and fabrications, Alico utilises products that provide the highest quality finishes. Similarly, for sealants and structural bonding materials Alico uses Dow Corning, a world leader in this sector.

Future strategy
The strength of the Alico brand is increasing in the region and internationally as the company builds on its formidable range of projects and its unique amalgam of economies of scale, comparative cost advantages and impressive supply-chain management for the most complex architectural structures in the world.
After almost 30 years, the visionary and charismatic Abdul Rahman Shihada, the founder and managing director of Alico, has recently retired after having seen the company establish its leadership in the regional and international market. Shihada, together with the board of directors, had implemented a major diversification programme in the 1980s that led to a group of integrated operating divisions, each providing a range of construction and industrial products. Shihada’s contribution to the industry not only in the UAE but also in the region has been significant by taking Alico from a small fabricator in the seventies to the major force it is today.
Ahmad Hamza, the managing director of Alico, assumed his position earlier this year and is continuing to spearhead the visionary growth strategy of Shihada and the board of directors. Hamza has a wealth of management, industrial and financial expertise. 
“I have been involved with Alico as a board member since 1990 and have been closely involved in the strategic development of the company,” he says. “The traditions for which Alico has made its reputation in technological leadership will continue as we pursue our proactive expansion strategy – a strategy that includes adding significantly more production capacity, improved supply-chain delivery, new partnerships together with the further development of human resources and continuing improvement of technical skills. Alico is committed to meeting the demands of the market, both locally and internationally.”
“Alico was first to bring unitised curtain walling systems to the UAE, first for PVDF coatings and first in many other technical initiatives. This policy of innovation will continue, with Alico determined to maintain its leadership in technology and build upon its strength in interpreting and realising the architectural and structural challenges through technical solutions,’’ says Hamza.
‘‘Alico is also pushing the envelope for the next generation of unitised glass facades incorporating active features such as photovoltaic cells designed to provide electrical energy to the building’s operating systems. Active walls of this type will have a level of programmed intelligence, automatically adjusting louvres/blinds and other facade controls to achieve predetermined levels for user comfort.
“In addition to exclusive licensing with Schuco for fabricating its systems, Alico is working with Schuco in the next generation of unitised curtain wall facades. Alico is also working with other internationally renowned facade consultants such as Arup and Meinhardt to design and develop systems to meet specific requirements of custom-designed solutions for projects with special architectural features.  
“Export markets are implicit in the company’s future strategy, particularly when a significant part of the company’s turnover is from overseas markets. Alico will more than double its production capacity to meet the increasing demands not only from the Emirates but also from the significantly increasing project work across the region, and internationally. The strength of our technical expertise and ability to deliver quality at competitive prices and deal with high-volume business has established our reputation. Quality and safety are implicit in our approach and with our considerable production capacity, Alico is able to compete successfully in overseas markets. Thus, we can secure alliances with quality fabricators and compete in any market not only through our own designs and fabrications but through our strategic partnerships,” says Hamza. 
Strategic partnerships have already been formed with Cupples International from the US to focus on super high-rise developments in the region.
In terms of project management, Alico can pre-tender, project manage and provide complete engineering services, including critical testing through its manufacturing and production facilities through to installation.
“Alico is currently working on a new high-rise tower in the UK, using a Schuco unitised curtain walling system. Forming strategic alliances and partnerships with major international companies is an important part of our future strategy. Alico is continuously recruiting specialist technical staff to meet the growing demands of the market. 
“We seek not only to be the best but to be the most advanced in terms of technology and are gearing up our systems to deal with an increase in capacity and to meet the demands of the market. As well as bidding on many of the prestigious projects in Dubai, we have currently several large projects in process in Lebanon, Egypt and Kuwait.
“We have recently completed new premises for Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and Ministry of Oil and the flagship BMW showroom in Kuwait, which is considered to be the largest outside Germany. In Bahrain, we completed the Almoayyed Tower and in Qatar we are associated with the Ritz Carlton Hotel,” adds Hamza. 
 One of the first unitised systems installed in the UAE at the National Bank of Dubai includes curtain walling, fabricated and installed by Alico using a high-performance system design from Cupples. The three-dimensional triangular Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry building is also an Alico first, utilising two-sided structural glazing.
With superior cladding systems and services, projects awarded include applications of innovative thermally-broken and fully-unitised curtain  walling and the mechanically bolted ‘spider system’ at the First Residence in Egypt. The Kuwait Airways headquarters, and a medical sports facility in the Sultanate of Brunei were secured and completed against intense international competition.
Alico has long been active in the international market with a completed projects portfolio spanning more than 20 countries and including many prestigious projects. Such countries include Jordan, Sudan, the UK, France, Russia, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, India, Pakistan, Morocco, Nepal and Uganda. 
Some of the company’s completed projects and those on the drawing board and yet to be implemented are fine examples of the Alico technical approach, such as the curtain walling for the Dubai Creek Golf Club and the custom-designed sunshades on the new BurJuman expansion.
“Alico will continue to take a prominent position in advanced curtain walling technology with the best operations, facilities and resources to meet the challenges of the regional and international market. We are embarking on a planned expansion programme, more than doubling capacity whilst streamlining our operations both vertically and horizontally,” adds Hamza.
Alico is currently building a new production facility that will be completed by the year-end and will provide the company with a total production space in the UAE, in excess of 30,000 sq m together with a new office complex. The company will also introduce a state-of-the-art logistics and supply chain management systems and a new paint plant.
Alico exercises overall project planning and control over key areas of activities such as design and engineering, procurement, production scheduling, quality control and site installation.
In major prestigious projects, Alico’s highly-qualified designers and technicians are involved from the project conception stage, providing customised design solutions to the architects and consultants in the form of structural calculations, drawings, fabrication and installation details, together with technical advice and consultancy on specifications, feasibility studies and material procurement.
At the implementation stage of the project, detailed fabrication/shop-drawings are produced, discussed and agreed with the project architect/manager. These form the blueprint for project execution and scheduling. 
For curtain walling and window profiles, fittings and accessories are exclusively confined to Schuco International, Germany, by virtue of Alico’s technical licensing agreement. Every order is scheduled for production through computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems with progress tracked from order entry to plant shipment to the construction sites. Quality control and assurance programmes are a combination of Schuco specifications with quality inspectors working within BS, ASTM EN and DIN standards at all production stages.
Site installation is managed through highly-trained project management staff, typically at site offices for major projects. The installation team coordinates its site delivery programme with the main contract schedule and Alico’s production scheduling to meet completion deadlines.  These dedicated project teams are a key element of Alico’s corporate success for on-time delivery.

Quality control & assurance
The QA/QC department comprises a staff complement of 21 technicians who are responsible for the quality assurance of the whole process, which includes quality control of in-process fabrication and site installation by a detailed inspection regime.
Alico achieved ISO 9001 accreditation in 1999 and all its business processes operate to a quality management system that is in compliance with BS EN ISO 9001-2000 and is certified by British Standards Institute.

Corporate objectives
When Alico was founded in 1976, the founders implicitly adopted the corporate objectives of innovation, customised designs, high-quality products and services. These corporate objectives continue to drive Alico forward today.
“One of our primary objectives is to provide our customers with a high-quality package of services, which includes technical support, with the preparation of design proposals as wells as commercial support, with budget costing,” says Peter Grove, commercial manager of Alico.
“We work together with customers and offer our considerable experience and capability, to give them the right design solutions at an affordable cost,” says Grove.
Alico plans to remain at the forefront of curtain walling technological advancement and actively strengthen its position within regional and international markets.

Alico landmarks

Some of the major projects that Alico has carried out in recent years with specific technical requirements and unique design features:

Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai
National Bank of Dubai, Dubai
Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dubai
Creek Golf and Yacht Club, Dubai
Twin Towers Centre, Dubai
City Towers - One and Two, Dubai
Almoayyed Tower, Bahrain
The Tower, Dubai
Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai
Dubai International Convention Centre, Dubai
Abu Dhabi National Bank, Abu Dhabi
Emirates Airline Training Centre, Dubai
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation – Oil Sector Complex, Kuwait
Wafi Residence Complex, Dubai
Dubai Business Centre, Dubai
Dusit Hotel, Dubai
Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi
Royal Mirage, Jumeirah, Dubai
BurJuman Centre Expansion, Dubai
Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi
Dubai Airport Exhibition Centre, Dubai
Marina Tower, Beirut
Airport Control Tower, Dubai
Expo Centre, Sharjah
Internet City, Dubai
Kuwait Airways Headquarters, Kuwait 
Burgan Bank, Kuwait
Kuwait National Petroleum Company, Kuwait
Al Awadi Tower, Kuwait
Immeubles University, Paris
Ritz Carlton, Qatar
National Social Security Fund, Kampala, Uganda
Medical Sports Centre, Brunei