The UAEs glass industry is breaking into international markets. With so many projects currently under construction in both the UAE as well as the GCC and Middle East, experts say that the glass indust…
The UAEs glass industry is breaking into international markets. With so many projects currently under construction in both the UAE as well as the GCC and Middle East, experts say that the glass industry is set to witness unprecedented growth. Experts from the worldwide glass manufacturing industry are participating in the fourth edition of the Gulf Glass exhibition taking place in Abu Dhabi this week. Steve Lipscombe, vice-chairman of the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) for the Middle East and North Africa, said that the size of the industrys market has changed from what it was 20 years ago. You didnt have a local industry. You had local processing in a small way in the beginning and there was no float here, he said. Float is the sheet of glass when its in its original state. Now its turned. Youve got local companies. Weve got a secure supply chain locally. However, the local market is no longer just supplying indigenous needs, but has expanded into the international supply chain. A large percentage of the float products that are manufactured here are already aimed for the outside market, he said. Some of the biggest buildings in London have glass that has been manufactured here in the Gulf. The glass has been exported to London, said Steve Rice, director of the GGF Mena region. According to Lipscombe, there is currently one float plant in Ras Al Khaimah and another in Abu Dhabi, with each plant producing 600 tonnes of glass a day, bringing the industry to a capacity of 1,200 tonnes a day. Every piece of it is sold before the sand is boiled, he said. With so much glass being produced and used locally, much is needed to be done for the safety of the people around it. The GGF has been pushing for the implementation of safety rules and regulations for the glass industry in the UAE, Rice said. Safety we see as a big issue, he said.