3M to build manufacturing facility in Dammam

3M, described as a global science-based company that inspires creative collaboration, has unveiled the start of construction of its largest manufacturing facility in the MEA region, which will be located in Dammam.
The announcement was made during the groundbreaking ceremony, which 3M held in the Dammam 3rd Industrial City, in the presence of Saleh Al-Rasheed, director general of the Saudi Industrial Property Authority; and H. C. Shin, 3M EVP for international operations.
“3M has plans to continue to increase our localization effort in Saudi Arabia,” said Shin. “As a global leader in developing innovative solutions, our goal is to play an important role in the Kingdom’s effort to diversify its economy through knowledge and technology transfer. We will work closely with the Saudi government to enhance our manufacturing investment plans, invest in specialized research and development centers, and create high-value, technically sophisticated jobs.”
Abdullatif A. Al-Othman, governor and chairman of the board of directors of Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), said: “In addition to creating jobs for Saudis and locally manufacturing products, the research conducted and knowledge transferred at this site will pay further dividends to our partnership, creating win-win outcomes for both 3M and Saudi Arabia for years to come.”
Spread over 50,000 sqm, 3M’s manufacturing facility in Dammam will be built on three phases over a span of five years. By 2020, 3M aims to manufacture locally products related to air quality, identity management, oil and gas, corrosion protection as well as products related to infrastructure and health care markets. Initially covering the needs of the Saudi local market, 3M manufacturing facility will be developed to become a regional source of supply for other countries in the Middle East, Europe and Africa.
3M has been present in the Kingdom since the 1980s.