Arabian Fiberglass Insulation Company (Afico) said that the company would increase its production capacity by 50 percent after the completion of a major capacity expansion at its manufacturing facility in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Afico is a joint venture between Owens Corning and Zamil Industrial Investment Company and a sector business of Zamil Industrial.

With local and regional demand for the company’s products rising rapidly, Afico is well positioned to meet current demand as well as projections for increased demand into the future, a company official said.

“As the construction industry experiences accelerated growth in the GCC, the demand for high quality fiberglass insulation has followed suit," said Abdulla M. Al Zamil, board member of Afico and chief operating officer at Zamil Industrial.

He pointed out that Afico had invested more than SR60 million ($16 million) in upgrades and expansion. "In addition to this expansion, Afico is actively progressing toward new additional capacity in Saudi Arabia."

Afico’s board of directors has approved the construction of a new glass wool production facility, and the project remains subject only to final review and approval by the joint venture partners.

This new facility will allow Afico to continue to grow in proportion to the market for fiberglass insulation products utilised in residential, commercial and industrial construction projects throughout the GCC region, Al Zamil said.

"Once approved, construction of the new facility in Dammam will move quickly. This facility will be built using advanced technology from Owens Corning, and feature fully-automated production lines."

“With the latest technology and the support of Zamil Industrial, Afico is uniquely qualified to function as a regional leader in the fiberglass insulation products industry well into the future,” added Al Zamil.

Afico is an ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certified company, engaged in the manufacture of premium glass wool insulation products since 1982. All Afico products, used in a wide variety of applications, are environmentally friendly.-TradeArabia News Service