Dh2.2b tyre manufacturing facility starts in Abu Dhabi

Dr Sultan Al Jaber and Zhang Yingzi arriving for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Roadbot Tyre project in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.­ - Supplied photo

Senior industry figures from China and the UAE celebrated the groundbreaking of the Roadbot Tyre project Kizad (Roadbot) on Tuesday, marking the development of the first tyre manufacturing plant in the UAE and the growth of downstream industry in Kozad - Abu Dhabi's industrial hub and part of Abu Dhabi Ports.
Developed by Chinese tyre manufacturer Roadbot with a total investment of Dh2.2 billion, the Roadbot factory is being built in Kizad's China-UAE Industrial Capacity Cooperation Demonstration Zone in line with international standards and equipped with latest innovative solutions in tyre production. It will be fully operational by October 2020.
The 2.2 square kilometre Demonstration Zone is being developed by Jiangsu Provincial Overseas Cooperation and Investment Company (JOCIC), and Roadbot becomes the first Chinese firm to set up there since JOCIC and Abu Dhabi Ports signed a 50-year agreement in 2017. The Roadboat project was launched last year during the visit of Chinese Premier Xi Jinping to the UAE.
Across 275,000 square metres, the factory will have an initial annual production capacity of 3 million Passenger Car Radial (PCR) tyres and one million Truck and Bus Radial (TBR) tyres; with production increasing to 10 million PCR tyres and 1 million Truck and Bus Radials by 2022. 
The facility strengthens Abu Dhabi's unique position in the regional original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and replacement tyre markets. 
The groundbreaking ceremony was held in the presence of Dr Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE Minister of State and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Ports, and attended by Roadbot Chairwoman Zhang Yingzi.
Al Jaber said the Roadbot tyre factory will make an important contribution to the UAE's manufacturing base as part of our leadership's longstanding strategy to diversify our economy. 
"Today's groundbreaking also demonstrates the increasingly close ties between the UAE and China, and reinforces the UAE's role as a key partner in China's Belt and Road initiative," he said. 
Zhang Yingzi said the Roadbot Abu Dhabi tyre project is the result of close cooperation between the UAE and Chinese governments. "It is an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative and a crystallisation of multiculturalism, based on the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration."
Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports, said Abu Dhabi's strategic location as a gateway to the Mena region and Kizad's logistic efficiencies and connectivity continue to attract significant interest from the Chinese business community. "Roadbot will connect Abu Dhabi to global and regional automotive manufacturing demand; joining over 19 Chinese companies that have signed agreements to invest over $1 billion in the demonstration zone established within the KIZAD. These companies have identified the value proposition that helped put Abu Dhabi Ports and KIZAD on the global trade map, especially in the context of the China's Belt and Road Initiative."
The factory will meet the global tyre industry's highest standards of design and construction, and, when completed, be an intelligent, fully automated, and eco-friendly plant. It will include alpine waterfalls and ecological gardens in the atrium, creating an inviting and encouraging environment for employees. The facility will also harness the latest technology to enhance productivity, such as the internet of things, logistics automation, smart equipment, equipment networking and system real-time data collection, and intelligent analysis. - business@khaleejtimes.com