Recently, the Swiss specialty chemicals company Clariant officially opened in Saudi Arabia, a new advanced technology masterbatch production base. This is Kerui Te's second masterbatch plant in the country to replace the existing base in Riyadh.

    The new site, located in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast, is home to 32 major hydrocarbon, petrochemical and mineral industries. The plant is part of the Clariant Masterbatch Company in Saudi Arabia, a joint venture between Clariant and Rowad, a major Middle East plastic product maker and part of Tasnee, the second largest industrial company in Saudi Arabia. The plant will mainly focus on the production of white masterbatch.

    Clariant Chief Financial Officer PatrickJany said: "The joint investment with Rowad expands our global network and further enhances our presence in the Middle East and Africa, one of the key growth markets for plastics applications."

    Its geographical location provides easy access to key raw materials as well as maritime and airport facilities, both for exporting goods to the factory and for Saudi Arabian customers as well as the wider Middle East and Africa region. This is Clariant Masterbatch's second manufacturing center in Saudi Arabia, while the other is based in Riyadh, home of the company.

    Marco Ceisio, head of the masterbatch business unit, said the project is one of the most important investments in masterbatch business in recent years.

    SaeedAlAjrafi is a board member of Clariant Masterbatch Joint Ventures in Saudi Arabia and a Vice President of Tasnee. He added: "We are pleased to officially open the plant and the additional capacity that the plant will bring will allow us to expand our market share in the plastics industry downstream of the region."