- Kingdom’s first private sector industrial grade additive manufacturing centre will support local jobs and Saudi’s industrial transformation.
- Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources inaugurates Dammam facility, launched in line with National Industrial Strategy.
- New facility houses region’s largest additive manufacturing equipment and will help transform Saudi’s local manufacturing base.
Immensa inaugurated today a new facility in Saudi Arabia as part of its ambitious regional expansion plans.
His Excellency Eng. Osama bin Abdulaziz Al-Zamil, Saudi Arabia’s Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, inaugurated the 1,500 square metre facility in Dammam, which is the result of a $15 million investment.
The facility is the first private sector industrial grade additive manufacturing centre in the Kingdom and will be a key enabler in the shift of the local manufacturing base from traditionally low value product production using conventional manufacturing to high value production.
HE Eng. Al-Zamil commented: “Saudi Arabia is undergoing an industrial transformation as part of the Kingdom’s economic diversification. The launch of Immensa’s new facility reflects the trajectory of Saudi Arabia’s industrial journey towards becoming a global leader in advanced and additive manufacturing. Furthermore, it is a clear indication of our appetite to localise 4IR manufacturing and attract leading talents. As the National Industrial Strategy gathers momentum, we will continue to support companies that boost on-demand local manufacturing, strengthen supply chains, and create jobs for citizens.”
Immensa’s new factory will enable high value parts for sectors such as oil & gas, energy, and petrochemicals to be produced on demand and locally. This will play a part in creating more agile, reliable, sustainable supply chains – particularly within hard-to-abate sectors –while saving companies costs and time. In addition, the centre will service regional markets including Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. Further, exposing Saudi engineers to the world class facility will support the upskilling of local talent.
Ali Abdulaziz Alturki, Chairman of Immensa, said: “Immensa exists to localise the production and supply of spare parts across various critical industries. This new facility marks the expansion of our efforts to onshore production to help industries reinforce and decarbonize their value chains. Additive manufacturing today is a firmly established process, and we are harnessing the power of 3D printing to support local industries, economic growth and sustainability.”
He added: “Immensa has ambitious expansion plans, which are underpinned by local talent and engineers. We will continue empowering the industrial ecosystem to ensure not only that we are a major player in this field, but also that Saudi Arabia and the wider region lead in local on-demand, advanced manufacturing.”
Managed and run by a local team of additive manufacturing experts, the new facility has various cutting-edge technologies and is supported by more than 30 specialised engineers. It features General Electric Additive 3D printers, including the region’s largest metal laser melting machine for the toolless manufacture of complex parts.
Leveraging its strategic geographical location, resources and skilled workforce, Saudi Arabia is aiming to become a global leader in additive manufacturing through producing additive manufacturing raw material, developing engineering design capabilities, and localizing additive manufacturing services.
Manufacturing is currently the third largest contributor to the Kingdom’s GDP. The country is investing heavily in Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies that increase productivity and competitiveness while reducing costs, waste, and carbon emissions.