Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, has officially opened its new state-of–the art masterbatch production site in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. The site is owned by Clariant Masterbatches Saudi Arabia, a joint venture between Clariant and Rowad, a leading plastic products manufacturer in the Middle East and part of Tasnee, Saudi Arabia’s second largest industrial company.

“As part of its commitment to intensify growth and increase profitability, Clariant invests in capacity expansions that provide competitive and innovative solutions to its customers. This joint investment with Rowad (Tasnee) expands our global network with a stronger position in the Middle East and Africa region, one of the important growth markets for plastic applications,” said Patrick Jany, CFO of Clariant.

The new site is located in Yanbu, a city on the Red Sea which is home to many of Saudi Arabia’s leading industries including petrochemicals, hydrocarbon and minerals. It has been constructed on a 38,000 square meters property in Yanbu Industrial Zone 2 and will focus on the production of white masterbatches. This location provides the site easy access to key raw materials and enables it to supply customers in Saudi Arabia as well as the wider Middle East and Africa region thanks to a good logistics network that includes the nearby seaport and airport. It is the second manufacturing hub for Clariant Masterbatches in Saudi Arabia, supplementing an existing site in Riyadh.

“The project is one of the most important investments for the Business Unit Masterbatches in recent years and I am very proud to see it being opened. It’s a logical next step of our relationship with Rowad (Tasnee) and allows us to offer a broader product portfolio to customers in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East and Africa region”, said Marco Cenisio, Head of Business Unit Masterbatches, Clariant.

Saeed Al Ajrafi, Board Member of the Clariant Masterbatches Saudi Arabia Joint Venture and Vice President Plastics at Tasnee, added: “We are very pleased to officially open this site. The additional capabilities allow us to grow and extend our market share in this region’s downstream plastics industry.”