Posted on 20 Jan 2025
Saudi Arabia's Al Watania for Industries (WFI) and China's Donghexin Group (DHX) are partnering to create the first integrated tinplate manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia, Kallanish notes.
The agreement was signed under the patronage of Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Ibrahim Alkhorayef at the Future Minerals Forum held in Riyadh last week.
The Ras Al-Khair Industrial City-based facility will produce 400,000 tonnes/year of tinplate, catering to the domestic market. It will also position Saudi Arabia as a key regional exporter, as this will be the first tinplate mill in the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The collaboration leverages advanced technology and expertise, creating competitive advantage while ensuring knowledge transfer and local workforce development, resulting in over 500 new jobs, WFI notes. The initiative aims to strengthen the industrial supply chain, boost exports, and reduce reliance on imports, it adds.
WFI chairman Mosaed Al Ohali says: “This joint venture demonstrates how international collaboration can help achieve Saudi Vision 2030 goals. It addresses domestic needs and positions Saudi Arabia as a key player in the global tinplate market.”
The plant is scheduled to commence operations by early 2027. It will be a “significant step towards increasing the local content as well as the Kingdom becoming an exporter of this crucial tinplate, thereby supporting the food industries, fostering industrial self-reliance, and diversifying the economy,” he adds.
DHX chairman Li Dong notes: “The DHX Group and WFI have formed a strong alliance to establish the first full-process tinplate factory in Saudi Arabia, introducing world-leading tinplate technology and demonstrating significant foresight. The DHX Group aims to transform this factory into the world’s green electricity, low-carbon facility, ensuring efficient, high-quality production and establishing a benchmark for the global tinplate industry.”
Founded in 2004, Shanghai-based Donghexin Group has been engaged in the tinplate and laminated industry for more than 20 years. It has three manufacturing plants located in Jiangsu Province and Sichuan Province, and specialises in tinplate, metal packaging, TFS, ETP, and metal cans. WFI’s core activity is in the packaging and building materials production sectors.
Source:Kallanish
