Tamimi Tensile Structures, one of the largest companies in the field of tensile membrane structures in the Middle East, has launched a steel structure fabrication division, making it one of the few companies in the Gulf that can fabricate special steel structures, says Ayed Tamimi, executive manager of the company.

The new division, which will provide design, fabrication, and installation services of these structures, is in line with the activities of Tamimi Tensile Structures which include the provision of a wide range of structural covers using PTFE (Teflon) and PVC fabric, which are widely used in sport stadiums, roofs of airports and shopping malls, buildings facades, garden and car-park shades.
This new development comes as result of the excellent response in the market for its services, which is seeing it involved in the installation of what the firm describes as the largest enclosed roof cover made of PTFE fabric in the Middle East. The project which is at final stage of finishing is being carried out at the Mall of Arabia in Jeddah. The PTFE membrane covers a little more than 19,000 sq m with steel trusses that have a span of 91 m. The work at the site should be completed this June.
Two other prestigious projects have now just been included in its order book. These are for the Umm Al Qura university stadium in Makkah and for the façade and roof cover for King Fahd National Library in Riyadh.
King Fahd National Library has been designed by Eckhard Gerber of the renowned architectural practice Gerber Architekten International.
“Elegance and simplicity are apparent in the design, which is inspired by traditional Arab buildings,” says Tamimi.
“Due to high oil prices, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries are experiencing an unprecedented economical boom covering all sectors. This growth involves the construction of new schools, universities, industrial and economical cities, hospitals, residential and commercial buildings, many of which require membrane structures, so so we intend to cash in on this business opportunity,” says Ayed Tamimi, executive manager of the company.
To cater to the rising demand for its services in the region, Tamimi Tensile Structures will also be opening new branches in the UAE, Qatar and other Gulf countries this year.
Al Tamimi, a business division of Riyadh-based Ali Tamimi Sons Company which was established in 1949, began operations in 1995. The company is currently staffed with around 140 employees comprising of managerial staff, engineers, technicians and skilled labourers.
Commenting on tensile structures, he says: “Due to the flexibility afforded by tensile membranes, various shapes can be created, unlike the design limitations of other materials. With these membranes, building architects can have long span covers without hindering movement by having too many support systems. Besides being an aesthetically-appealing and elegant element in contemporary building architecture, these membrane structures have a long life expectancy of more than 30 years.”
Tamimi Tensile structures has an impressive project portfolio in Saudi Arabia having created many of the roof structures for shopping malls such as the Royal Center Mall, Sahara Mall and Al Salam mall in Riyadh and the Shatt’s and Al-Rashid Mall in Al Khobar and Dammam.
Besides roof covers for shopping malls in Saudi Arabia, the company has some other landmark projects outside the kingdom, which includes the roof cover for the prestigious Tripoli Stadium in Lebanon.