Dubai-based Emirates Aerated Concrete Industries (E-ACICO), which was set up last year to produce autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) materials in the emirate – has diversified its business interests and made a foray into the booming real estate development sector.

“The company is currently building three projects in the UAE – including a 52-storey five-star hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road, two clinics in Dubai Health Care City and a five-star 240-room beach resort in Fujairah,” says deputy general manager Harry Buitelaar.
Established in 2003 at the Jebel Ali Industrial Area, E-ACICO is part of ACICO Kuwait – a licensed partner of Hebel International, Germany – and the authorised manufacturer and supplier of Hebel’s products in the Gulf.
The company specialises in producing supplementary materials for buildings constructed with AAC materials, which are suitable for load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls.
‘‘These blocks have a number of value-added advantages over conventional blocks as they have excellent thermal insulation properties, are lightweight and provide acoustic and fire-proofing properties,’’ he says. “It is an energy and cost-saving environment-friendly, natural and non-toxic solid construction material, with long life span.”
E-ACICO blocks with tongue and groove are recommended for rational straight-course laying, applying a thin-bed mortar to the horizontal course joint and no mortar in the vertical one. This method results in a particularly high-quality wall-structure with uniform thermal insulation, without heat bridges in the joints and especially with plane wall surfaces.
“We would like to think that you can save up to 40 per cent on energy bills by using an AAC system instead of traditional concrete, and the savings don’t just stop there, it also improves the durability of the air-conditioning units. In winter, the blocks work in reverse and keep the cold out,” says Buitelaar
Elaborating on the growth of the company in the emirates, Buitelaar says: “We have recorded a steady growth since the launch of our Dubai operations. Our output has improved over last year and we hope to remain in the growth mode in the future. The volume of business has also significantly increased compared to last year and we are anticipating further escalation.
“This company has made tremendous progress due to the superior quality of the materials, remarkable development of product shapes and dimensions for the local market, excellent technical (architectural and structural) design services along with after-sales and delivery services.
“There will also be new real estate investment opportunities for ACICO and its local partner in Saudi Arabia with a new factory in Dammam,” Buitelaar points out. “The company is also in discussions with a local partner in Qatar and is looking to establish an AAC factory there.
“Furthermore, we have also recently launched a real estate development and investment fund, which is open for subscription for GCC and non-GCC nationals. It has a fund capital of up to KD50 million ($14.85 million).”
With a 1,000-strong staff, the company was listed on the Kuwait stock exchange in 1994. The company has acquired state-of-the-art German technology for its plants to meet the ever-increasing requirement of the clients.
 “We are working on enhancing the export revenues, which is already contributing significantly in our growth,” he continues.
E-ACICO, which is pursuing the international certifications has design capabilities, and has been associated with numerous prestigious projects in the past.
“It’s a big list. Some of the major projects built with our material include the Garden Shopping Mall, Jumeirah Beach Residences, Yammah Residency- Dubai, among others,” says Buitelaar. “We have been put to test by the developers and were given a number of challenging assignments in Palm Islands and Jumeirah Beach Residences. We execute each project with extreme professionalism and provide our clients highest quality products,” he adds.
The company’s products will be displayed at Stand 7C371 (Hall 7) at the Big 5 show.