Advertorial NAFFCO

Eastern promise

We turn the spotlight on NAFFCO, the largest fire fighting manufacturing company in the Middle East and one of the top five worldwide

NAFFCO was established 17 years ago with the construction of a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for a wide range of fire fighting equipment including all types of fire extinguishers, fire cabinets, fire hoses, pumps, mobile and advanced fire fighting systems.

It also makes fire alarm systems and fire suppression systems, meaning it can supply total fire protection solutions. On top of that, it also manufactures different types of fire trucks, ambulances and special vehicles.

In recognition of its progress, NAFFCO won the prestigious Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Awards for its excellent performance in export and manufacturing.

NAFFCO's vision is to be a global leader in providing comprehensive and reliable fire protection solutions. The company is planning to push its custom-built fire fighting vehicles and protective equipment in the US, Canada and Latin America (Latam) later this year.

Eng Khalid Al Khatib, CEO of NAFFCO, said the North America countries, along with the relatively untapped Latam region, offered a big market for the company's products; in anticipation of which NAFFCO is expanding its existing manufacturing and assembling facilities at Dubai's Jebel Ali Free Zone.

The company is on track to commission a new 1m sq ft central manufacturing unit by 2008 end that will nearly double current production capacity. Further investment will see the plant's capacity enhanced to produce 300 fire trucks, 500 ambulances, 50 aerial platforms, 200 special class vehicles and 25 CFR units by the end of 2010.

Strengthening its hold on the GCC market, NAFFCO has invested AED 40 million ($11 million) in setting up a new plant in Qatar and plans to build similar capacity in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. These are expected to go onstream by the end of 2009.

Al Khatib foresees ‘excellent' growth prospects in West Africa, South Asia and the CIS countries. Benefiting from current levels of economic and infrastructure development, the Middle East and North Africa will generate good demand for NAFFCO products over the next four years, he said.

“We're pioneering a new industry in the regional market and we are currently exporting to over 78 countries,” Al Khatib pointed out. “Dubai is an ideal base for export oriented manufacturing because from JAFZA- DUBAI-UAE we access the whole world.

“The encouragement extended to the local manufacturing industry by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has given a big push to domestic exports putting UAE based companies on the world map,” he said.

As the official representative of the NFPA in the region, NAFFCO works to set standards in fire protection systems and safety goods and enhance awareness of fire hazards particularly in the UAE's high-rise construction industry.