The company is a leading producer of precast concrete

The UAE’s Gulf Precast has overcome brisk competition to win a contract to build 65 precast schools in central Iraq.

The company said it had completed designing the schools and their boundary walls and while the initial part of the production is under way in the UAE it is in the process of building a production plant in Iraq.

The precast schools awarded to Gulf Precast are a part of an Iraqi national programme to build 1,485 schools across Iraq this year. The schools have been specified to use precast construction and consist of 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 class rooms.

While several potential precast manufacturers had been considered, Gulf Precast, which has been operating in the Emirates for the last 28 years, has been selected both for its wealth of expertise and for its readiness to set up a precast plant in Iraq.

The Iraq factory will cater for the second production phase of the schools project as well as for the fast-track infrastructure and housing programme launched by the Iraq government.

The new Iraq factory will complement the current six UAE plants managed by Gulf Precast as well as its two recent additions: a new Al Ain mobile plant and an on-site plant at Abu Dhabi Airport Extension.

Located in Baghdad, the Iraq factory is designed to produce 200 cu m of precast per day in addition to 900 sq m of hollowcore slabs daily.

"The Iraqi government has launched an ambitious programme of construction development which can only be achieved if modern performing technologies such as precast are employed," said Omar Araim, representative of Gulf Precast in Iraq.

"By being present in the country during the initial stages of this programme, companies such as Gulf Precast are positioning themselves as a key actor of the expected national expansion."

Gulf Precast’s expansion strategy is not limited to Iraq only, but also includes a number of countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Libya, Oman, India and and Nigeria, countries in which joint ventures are in progress with governmental and private organisations, he added.

"The expertise gained by Gulf Precast in the very mature and demanding construction sector of the UAE is perceived as a critical success factor by many of our joint venture partners or intended partners," said Elias Seraphim, CEO of Gulf Precast.

"They, in turn, bring to the partnership their extensive knowledge of the local construction market. In a few years’ time, Gulf Precast intends to become an internationally renowned key player of the cnstruction economy," he added.