Firm opens new Dhs15 million facility in Hamriyah Free Zone

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Reliable Engineering & Fabrication, the leading organization involved in the design, engineering, manufacturing, and installation of all kinds of light to heavy metal fabrications with coating systems, has inaugurated an Dhs15 million production plant at Hamriyah Free Zone.

Through its new facility, which covers an area of more than 150,000 sq. ft, the world-class structural steel fabricator seeks to cater to the needs of the oil & gas, marine, and oil & wind farming sectors, taking advantage of the Hamriyah Free Zone Authority’s (HFZA) reputation, which provides a competitive environment for all businesses operating in the steel and construction sectors.

The company, which has been operating in the free zone since 2021, said it’s expanding at HFZA due to several reasons, including the free zone’s being a global business hub as well as its strategic location and integrated services, state-of-the-art logistics infrastructure, facilities, and services that suit all businesses and industries.

The new factory was inaugurated by Saud Salim Al Mazrouei, Director of HFZA, Ms. Shobha Mendonca, Managing Director of Reliable Engineering & Fabrication, and Dr. Narayanan R Menon, COO of Reliable Engineering & Fabrication, in the presence of senior directors from both sides.

Accompanied by a number of HFZA officials, Al Mazrouei toured the new production facility, where he was briefed about the production lines that manufacture up to 500 metric tons of steel per month, by more than 160 employees and specialized technicians.

Lauding the company’s new expansion plan, Al Mazrouei said: “The Hamriyah Free Zone has developed a state-of-the-art business environment that perfectly meets the growing needs of the industrial sector, especially in the steel and fabrication industries. This is a vital sector to supporting Sharjah’s economic development and fulfilling the needs of giant construction projects as well as the urban boom that the Emirate is witnessing. This would not have been possible had it not been for the comprehensive vision and sustainable future plans adopted by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.”

“The free zone pays utmost attention to attracting major global players in this sector. We promised and delivered privileges rarely seen elsewhere, including exceptional facilities for competitive services, strategic location, and multi-modal connectivity by land, sea, and air, allowing companies to reach new markets in various continents,” he added.

“We have hundreds of multinational companies operating in HFZA’s steel and fabrication sector, and we are consistently looking for new strategies to attract new investments in this area. We are really looking forward to making Sharjah a regional headquarters for the steel and fabrication industry, which is seen as a significant indication of a country’s economic success. In the UAE, the metals sector provides AED 34.4 billion to the industrial sector, which is comparable to 25.4% of the sector’s contribution to the economy. Since Sharjah’s industrial sector has grown to be one of the most significant contributors to the emirate’s GDP, Hamriyah Free Zone is eager to encourage businesses operating in this area.

For her part, Ms. Shobha Mendonca said that the decision to expand at HFZA was driven by many factors, including the region’s and the UAE’s rapid expansion in crucial industries, infrastructure projects, oil and gas, petrochemicals, and construction. Additionally, HFZA attaches utmost importance to this industry and offers exceptional incentives and facilities that empower any business to raise their efficiency and increase their production capacity, thus effectively catering to the needs of the local and regional market.

“Reliable Engineering is an expert in producing aluminum helidecks thanks to our 34 years of business expertise. We are now the sole manufacturer operating in the MENA and GCC markets. We also produce offshore reels, and now we are among the four major manufacturers worldwide,” Ms. Shobha Mendonca added.

Furthermore, Dr. Narayanan R Menon stated that Reliable Engineering is aspiring to be a world-class structural steel fabricator and service provider preferred by suppliers in the marine, infrastructure, and oil & gas industries for projects around the globe while creating value for all our stakeholders, and we also look forward to reaching the entire GCC, MENA, and East African markets.

In addition to offering industrial and commercial plots of land, HFZA, the second-largest industrial-free zone in the UAE, provides advanced infrastructure and modern facilities that strengthen external expansion plans for investors, especially in importing and re-exporting, to the world’s markets. It also provides countless competitive advantages, most notably a single-window operation that boosts efficiency and eases procedures for doing business, along with multiple tax exemptions, repatriation of capital and profits, full foreign ownership of the business, and quick access to regional and global markets.