Middle East success for Mapei 26 Apr 2018

Italian manufacturer of adhesives and sealants, Mapei Underground Technology Team (UTT) has seen a 4.36% increase in company sales in the Middle East in 2017 compared to 2016 after completing a number of high profile projects in the region.

Mapei UTT supplies protective coating for the concrete segments supplied to the Expolink consortium of Alstom, Acciona and Gülermak, for the Dubai Metro Route 2020 which will run through a 10m-wide, 2.5km long underground tunnel.

Mapei new production facility in Dubai

Chemicals for shotcrete to stabilize rock after blasting at the Shis to Khor Fakkan Roads & Tunnels project in Sharjah, a 23.2km dual carriageway near the edge of the Omani border are also supplied by Mapei. The road extends through mountainous terrain and passes through five rock tunnels with a total distance of 13km and will help ease traffic flow and ensure the safety of visitors traveling to and from Khor Fakkan and the wider emirate.

Also supplied with products from Mapei are; The Brenner Bass Tunnel, a 64km railway tunnel between Austria and Italy through the Eastern Alps that will be the longest underground rail link in the world; Cociv- Terzo Valico dei Giovi, a 53km high speed railway line between Genoa and Milan in Italy; Tunnel Euralpin Lyon-Turin, the new rail tunnel link between Lyon in France and Turin in Italy that is one of the largest rail projects in Europe; Grand Paris Express, metro line 14 in France; the Rogun Hydro Power Plant (HPP) Dam in Tajikistan, which at 335m high is the tallest in the world; the Mumbai Metro in India and the Quito Metro Line 1, a 22km tunnel through the capital of Ecuador.

Mapei UTT was created to supply a portfolio of dedicated products to match a variety of specifications in the construction industry.

“We are seeing a growing local demand for a range of products dedicated to underground construction as the industry looks at innovative design solutions for the travel and living demands of the regional population. We are providing products to projects in North-East Africa and Egypt, and our 28 research centres globally work with project design teams to find innovative new solutions to keep the Middle East construction projects the global benchmark,” said Stefano Iannacone, Mapei Regional Director for the Middle East & East Africa.

Mapei Group is also acquiring Italian Fili & Forme Srl, a company with more than 10 years in the building industry using the Istrice brand that produces structural polymeric fibers for mortar and concrete reinforcement for use in the underground construction industry.

Only a few weeks ago Mapei opened a US$6.5 million production facility with new offices at the Dubai Investments Park, coinciding with its 10 year anniversary in the Middle East.

The newly-expanded facility has a 5,200m² covered warehouse for larger storage capacity, and a new epoxy resin production line. The new offices cover more than 2,000m2 including a showroom and training centre.

Mapei has 1,000 regional customers and 128 employees of 25 nationalities at its regional headquarters. The company invests heavily in its highly-trained workforce hosting 120 training events for the Middle East team in 2017.

Established in 1937 in Milan, Italy, MAPEI now produces over 25,000 tonne of products per day, has over 66,000 clients and currently employs over 9,000 highly specialized professionals at its 75 plants in 54 countries worldwide.