With the opening of its second manufacturing facility, Gulf Heavy Industries Company (GHI) is poised to take on additional orders and raise its turnover at a time when Saudi Arabia is in the process of large-scale industrialisation as a means to diversify its economy.

The main equipment at GHI-2 is a Haeusler rolling machine capable of cold rolling carbon steel plates of up to 200 mm. Both are ASME-approved fabrication facilities with a total capacity of 12,000 tonnes per year and capability to produce pressure vessels, columns, reactors, drums, heat exchangers and storage tanks, among other equipment, in carbon steel, stainless steel, duplex steel and low alloy steels. They are located in Jubail.
“GHI is a preferred process equipment manufacturer of choice for leading oil, gas, chemical, petrochemical, desalination and power companies,” says marketing and sales incharge Farooq Khatri.
“GHI received the Geneva International Quality Award, 2006, the only company in the GCC region to do so. It also received a formal appreciation letter from Saudi Aramco for its excellent contribution and support towards the Haradh Crude Increment II project. GHI supplied all its pressure vessels four months earlier than any out-of-kingdom supplier could.”
The company is currently fabricating 10 condensers for Saudi Aramco’s Uthmanya project. The condensers, work on which began a year ago, will be supplied in September. The value of the contract was given as SR25 million ($6.6 million).
Among other projects, GHI is manufacturing pressure vessels and reactors for Saudi Kayan, a Sabic affiliate. Work on the equipment began in March and delivery is to take place by December. The value of this contract is $6 million.
Turnover in 2007 was approximately SR71 million against SR68 million in the previous year.
“Demand for the fabrication of process equipment is at its peak as many mega projects in Saudi Arabia are in the pipeline including ones for Saudi Aramco, Sabic, Saudi Kayan, SWCC and Sipchem,” says Khatri. “Similarly Kuwaiti and Qatari industries are planning major investments. The period from 2008 to 2011 is expected to be a very busy one.”
Khatri said the company was currently focusing on the Saudi market.
GHI, formally known as Gulf Engineering Company, is part of the Al-Bassam Group. The shares are equally held by Saleh bin Mohammed Al-Bassam, Masaad bin Mohammed Al-Bassam and Salah & Massad Al Bassam Co for Saudi Petroleum Equipment.
The Al-Bassam Group has been serving the Saudi petroleum industry for some 55 years and is today one of the top suppliers for Saudi Aramco. The group’s operations are diverse and include trading, manufacturing, mining, travel and tourism and financial investment.