The continuing construction boom in the Gulf States has made this region the world¹s flat and processed glass industry hotspot.

The Gulf region is still moving forward with major construction projects fuelled by the continuing growth in population, reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan and a seemingly unstoppable surge in residential, office and tourist-related construction in the UAE, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt and wider Middle East region.

As well as being a huge glass consumer, the Middle East is rapidly developing a large-scale and sophisticated manufacturing base of its own. Covering everything from raw float glass to low E; blast-proof to IGU, the region is rapidly becoming a glass production centre as well, providing limitless opportunities for suppliers of machinery, technology, materials and services.

There was a time when the oil barons of the Middle East invested much of their newfound wealth in the United States. But since 2001 they have kept their money closer to home. Now flush with cash from the latest oil bonanza, they are sinking huge sums into a round-the-clock construction frenzy that has transformed United Arab Emirates, and particularly Dubai, a once-quaint port of pearl divers and gold traders, into a high-tech capitalist dynamo that combines Singapore, Disney World and Australia.

The unprecedented growth in the regional real estate, automotive and industrial sectors has generated massive demand for high-performing, eco-friendly and technologically superior varieties of glass.

In UAE, the construction industry¹s expenditure on infrastructure and real estate projects is expected to reach AED 850 billion over the next five years. This will result in projected expenditure of AED 31 billion on glass products in construction sector alone.
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