JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - Hempel has opened its first factory for waterborne decorative coatings in the Middle East. Strategically located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the facility will help meet the growing demand for Hempel decorative coatings in the region.

The 7,500-square-meter facility will manufacture paint for the decorative coatings segment and will supply the entire Middle East market.

Besides being Hempel’s second factory in Saudi Arabia, it is also Hempel’s first 100 percent water-based production facility in the Middle East as well as its largest decorative factory in the region.

According to Pierre-Yves Jullien, Hempel Group President and CEO, the factory was built in Jeddah due to its strategic proximity to global sea lines and to the seaport located in King Abdullah Economic City.

The plant will feature the latest in coating production equipment technology, including powder silos, automatic filling, automatic palletizing and automatic transfer of pallets to the finished goods warehouse.

With a production volume of 32 million liters per year and an investment value of more than €19 million, the plant will secure a large number of job opportunities for the region.