Business & Money | Saturday 28 February, 2015 9:25 am |

Several local and regional industrial factories in Jeddah intend to transfer their industrial activities from Jeddah to the Industrial Valley at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) for its strategic economic location. An estimated 50 percent of Jeddah factories will be expected to change their location during the next few years.

Rayan Qutub, CEO of the Industrial Valley in KAEC, said: One of the many advantages of investing in KAEC’s Industrial Valley is the world infrastructure, which provides technological advanced services, including electricity, water, gas, sewage, communications, paved roads and rain drainage networks. In addition, the Industrial Valley includes a village, which is specially designed to provide housing units for factory workers and supervisors.

"We have signed agreements with more than 93 national and global leaders where KAEC’s Industrial Valley focuses on six industrial clusters — logistics, pharmaceutical, food and consumer goods, packaging industries, building materials and the automotive sector.

The Industrial Valley’s direct connection with King Abdullah Port makes it a global logistics destination that provides access to 250 million consumers in the Middle East, North Africa and East Africa," he said during a ceremony to establish a new factory of Al-Salem Johnson Controls in the Industrial Valley at KAEC held on Tuesday.


"Several regional and local companies, which have factories, have transferred their industrial activities to KAEC but their administrative offices will be in Jeddah. However, this step will create a lot of economic advantages to these companies, which will benefit from the King Abdullah Port at KAEC," Zaid Al-Aqeel, marketing director at Al-Salem Johnson Controls told Arab News.
Fahd Al-Rasheed, group CEO and MD of KAEC, confirmed that KAEC continues to attract leading national and international companies to invest in KAEC and the Industrial Valley, where they are creating clusters of manufacturing and other business operations, which are contributing to the diversification of the Kingdom’s economy.
"Investors in KAEC will also benefit from the excellent transportation facilities, including King Abdullah Port, which will be one of the largest ports in the world, and the train network," he added.
Speaking about the new factory, Mohanad Alshaikh, CEO of Al-Salem Johnson Controls said: "As we continue to evolve as a global multi-industrial company, Al Salem Johnson Controls identifies with the initiatives to diversify the Kingdom’s economy and the establishment of this manufacturing and training facility is an important step in this direction. When fully operational, this new factory will facilitate over 1,000 employment opportunities, creating a growth-oriented environment that is more efficient, more intelligent and more connected for our customers."