Dammam-based USG Middle East, a leading supplier of interior finishing and specialty ceiling systems, is actively promoting the Fiberock abuse-resistant interior panels as an economical alternative to concrete block and plaster constructions.

Ideally suited to institutional, commercial and residential walls and ceilings, these speciality panels are increasingly being used in schools across Saudi Arabia as they are designed to withstand the damage that children tend to leave in their paths.
“All over the world, kids will be kids and will be always be tough on walls. Our Fiberock abuse-resistant interior panels provides the perfect solution to the problems encountered in such high-traffic areas,” says a spokesperson for the company.
USG Middle East was recently contacted by a major Saudi conglomerate, which – having built hundreds of schools for Saudi children – was looking for wall panels that could withstand the hustle and bustle of school corridors. For its latest school buildings in the Eastern Province, the company was looking for an alternative to the usual concrete block and plaster construction.
“USG Middle East’s representatives presented a compelling proposal to the company, explaining the product’s superior abuse resistance, durability, nail and screw holding, fire protection and cost-effectiveness. The firm’s architects and engineers, who were previously unfamiliar with the product, gave the go-ahead to use Fiberock abuse-resistant interior panels on one school project, where it proved to be immensely successful,” adds the spokesperson.
Buoyed by the success of the pilot project, USG representatives met with the project consultants to back the use of Fiberock abuse-resistant interior panels for the eight remaining schools under the programme.
“The consultants liked what they saw, and specified the product for the remainder of the project,” he points out.
Like most contractors in Saudi Arabia, the main contractor for the school project, was familiar with the USG’s Sheetrock brand gypsum panels but had not worked with Fiberock panels before. However, a mock-up at the job site eased any concerns.
The school project is currently under way, and the contractors report ease in using the product. They are installing more than 9,116 sq m of Fiberock abuse-resistant interior panels within the premises, helping ensure that these school hallways will remain dent-and damage-free.
Other USG products used on this project include Olympia Micro ClimaPlus with the Donn DX/DXL suspension system and Durabond 90 setting type joint compound. These products are engineered to be strong and durable, resulting in reduced maintenance and life-cycle costs. They provide increased resistance to abrasion, indentation, and penetration, even in high-traffic areas such as school corridors. Unlike paper-faced gypsum boards, there is no face paper to scratch or tear, he points out.
“Fiberock abuse-resistant interior panels provide excellent fire resistance and – being made of 95 per cent recycled material – are environmentally-friendly. They also offer superior screw/nail holding ability compared with paper-faced gypsum board. They are currently available in 1/2 inch and 5/8 inch thicknesses, a width of 48 inches and lengths ranging from 8 to 12 ft. The abrasion resistance on walls and surfaces can be enhanced by adding the Sheetrock brand Tuff-Hide primer-surfacer, which is used in lieu of a skim coat and paint primer,” he concludes.
USG Middle East is also well known for a vast range of interior panels and acoustic, metal, gypsum and mineral fibre ceilings, and also offers the Donn suspension system, gypsum boards, demountable walls, raised floors, joint compounds and accessories. It also has offices in Riyadh, Jeddah (both in Saudi Arabia), Dubai (UAE) and Beirut (Lebanon).