Connecting with Ducab
Ducab GM sales & markerting Chew Wah Tan reveals ambitious expansion plans for the region and explains how the cabling manufacturer has remained competitive in spite of falling copper prices during the global economic downturn Established in 1979 by the late ruler of Dubai, Ducab is jointly owned by the governments of Dubai and Abu […]
Ducab GM sales & markerting Chew Wah Tan reveals ambitious expansion plans for the region and explains how the cabling manufacturer has remained competitive in spite of falling copper prices during the global economic downturn
Established in 1979 by the late ruler of Dubai, Ducab is jointly owned by the governments of Dubai and Abu Dhabi and is one of the first cable manufacturing plants set up in the region. The company has five major facilities in the UAE; two in Dubai and three in Abu Dhabi. Today, it can produce 110,000 copper tons equivalent of low-, medium- and high voltage cables.
Ducab products are type tested throughout the manufacturing process and are approved by third-party certification bodies such as British Approval Services for Electric Cables (BASEC UK), Lloyds UK, KEMA Netherland, Loss Prevention Certification Board (BRE-LPCB UK), CPRI India (Central Power Research Institute) and Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Meteorology UAE (ESMA). Having operated for more than three decades, Ducab continues to expand within the UAE and wider Middle East, according to general manager sales & marketing Chew Wah Tan.
Following the recent opening of a new sales office in Saudi Arabia, it has launched a sales and logistics centre in Doha, Qatar. Furthermore, in March 2009 it entered into a joint venture with Dubai Water and Electric Authority (DEWA) and Abu Dhabi Water and Electric Authority (ADWEA) to establish Ducab-HV; a high-voltage cable systems factory costing AED 500 million.
The new Special Cables Unit devoted to the oil, gas and petrochemicals sector is already up and running in Jebel Ali, Dubai while the Ducab HV factory is expected to be completed by the end of 2010, says Tan.
Ducab-HV is one of a number of initiatives implemented by Ducab to remain competitive in spite of various market challenges. The company has also focused on customer service and introducing new products. “Our revenues have been impacted by lower copper prices and construction activities in 2009, but we have maintained our leading position well,” explains Tan.
It seems Ducab’s persistence has paid off with the company receiving a number of recent awards, including a MRM Business Excellence award for the manufacturing sector presented by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Economic Value Creation in the Industrial Sector.
And Tan remains positive about the future outlook for the company. “Despite the global economic crisis that has impacted the UAE and GCC markets, we feel demand is expected to pick up from the second half of 2010 onwards when more projects are implemented,” he asserts.
