Ducab, a leading manufacturer of high-quality power cables, has achieved global sales of Dh2.4 billion ($653.40 million) during 2009.

The company's market share in the UAE rose by 10 per cent from the previous year, it said.

The wholly-UAE owned company now possesses a local market share of around 50 per cent and aims to gain 25 per cent of all cable manufacturing business in the GCC in the near future, it said.

Although 2009 was a tough year for the regional construction industry as a whole, Andrew Shaw, managing director at Ducab, said that the company managed to utilise this time to focus on customer service, commit additional resources towards operational excellence, and expand the company’s capacity in order to penetrate new international markets.

Ducab saw the completion of several landmark ventures during 2009, including the establishment of a special cables unit dedicated to the oil, gas and petrochemical sector, an expansion of the Ducab Connect range, and widening the product portfolio of Ducab copper rods.

Ducab also formed a new company Ducab HV (high voltage cable systems) jointly owned by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (Adwea).

Sales during 2009 were positive in countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and India, said a statement.

Ducab’s copper manufacturing and marketing activities were particularly successful in these GCC and Asian markets, with the company recently overtaking competition in India to become the largest provider of imported copper rods in the country.

This has resulted in over 25 per cent of the cable and enameled wire manufactured in India with imported copper now using Ducab copper; a result of Ducab’s exceptional customer service and world-class product quality.

“This last year was a very challenging period worldwide, although infrastructure projects can be counter-cyclical in a downturn as governments spend money in order to stimulate economic activity,” said Shaw.

“The Middle East as a whole remained a strong market for Ducab in 2009, and today we believe that customer service is without a doubt the most important aspect of our business.  By investing in our products and our partners alike, Ducab will continue to offer reliable cables solutions to its clients whilst contributing to the growth of the national economy,” he added.

Looking forward in 2010, Shaw says that the company is poised to benefit greatly from its recent investments in capacity expansions, especially the construction of the UAE’s first high-voltage factory  in Jebel Ali, Dubai, due to be operational by early 2011. – TradeArabia News Service