GulfGuard is a joint venture between Guardian Glass Company and the National Glass Industry Corporation (ZOUJAJ), which has announced plans to develop a second float glass production line and a second glass coating production line at its existing site in Jubail Industrial City. This statement was made after the joint venture signed some agreements at the US Saudi Business Forum held in Washington, organized by the Saudi Ministry of Investment on November 19th, coinciding with the visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The most advanced stepped glass coating production line is expected to start operating in 2027, and the Fufaya glass production line will be put into use in 2028, which will support GulfGuard in continuously meeting the urgent needs of the region while enhancing local capabilities. This measure highlights GulfGuard’s contribution to the pursuit of the “2030 Vision” goals through technological advancements and regional economic development. The new float production line is expected to enhance GulfGuard’s ability to provide services to customers in the spray coating and wider Middle East region. This production line aims to produce standard transparent float glass with thicknesses ranging from 4 millimeters to 12 millimeters, in oversized sizes (up to 6 meters in length), and has the ability to produce Guardian UltraClear iron low glass. These larger sizes are designed to help customers improve their yield by optimizing cutting modes. The newly planned advanced sputtering coating production line will be able to produce low emissivity glass and solar control glass, including Guardian SunGuard? Double silver and triple silver coatings are designed to balance energy efficiency and visual effects in various building applications. In the Middle East, driven by the continuous advancement of urban development, the evolution of building standards, the pace of standardization, and the development of large-scale projects, the demand for architectural glass continues to grow. In this context, the Jubail Industrial City base is expected to become a regional hub for high value-added products, providing customers with a variety of locally produced glass products. This approach aims to enhance the flexibility of the project while improving the logistics situation for customers through reliable regional supply and delivery processes. Gus Burkholt, Global Executive Vice President of Cargill Glass, stated, “Through this efficient investment, GulfGuard will provide a favorable position to meet growing demand while strengthening local supply chains and contributing to the increase of ‘local content’ and ‘Saudi made’ initiatives. Concentrating all these assets in one place will continue to enhance our ability to offer a variety of heterogeneous glass products and bring more value to our customers and partners. ”ZOUJAJ Chairman Omar Al Humaidan added, “This project demonstrates GulfGuard’s long-term commitment to addressing and expanding the Middle East region, supporting the achievement of the follow-up goals of Vision 2030. By expanding our production capacity and undertaking technology, we contribute to the growth and innovation vision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
