AquaChemie opens chemicals manufacturing facility in KEZAD to boost UAEs industrial ambitions
Abu Dhabi, UAE – AquaChemie, a key player in the regional chemicals sector, has unveiled AquaChemie Global Chemicals (ACGC), a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi (KEZAD), setting a new benchmark for specialty chemical manufacturing in the Middle East. Built on 25,804 square meters with an initial investment of $25 million, the facility marks a major milestone in AquaChemie's growth and directly supports the UAE's 'Make IT in the Emirates' vision—driving local innovation, industrial independence, and supply chain resilience.
The GCC specialty chemicals market was valued at around USD 832.97 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach approximately USD 1,206.26 billion by 2032, poised to deliver a CAGR of 4.2% over the forecast period of 2025-2032. Of these, the major factors contributing to such growth are increased investments in the construction, oil and gas, and automotive industries.
The new plant will cater to the rising demand for oil and gas upstream chemicals, especially for ADNOC and other key players in the region, while also meeting the needs of industries like paints, coatings, and construction. Until now, the region relied heavily on imported specialty chemicals—a costly, time-consuming process. AquaChemie's new facility changes that by localizing production, reducing costs, and shortening lead times.
'This plant is not just about infrastructure. It's about creating solutions, empowering industries, and driving sustainable growth,' said Mr. Anandkumar, Founder and Managing Director of AquaChemie."We are committed to contributing to the UAE's 'Make IT in the Emirates' initiative, ensuring our industries have access to world-class, locally made chemical solutions."
Being strategically located in KEZAD, AquaChemie enjoys key advantages like reduced utility costs, tax exemptions, duty benefits, and a seamless export network within the GCC. These savings are passed directly to customers, making operations more efficient and cost-effective.
The plant features:
The launch of this facility is timely. Supply chain disruptions in recent years have shown how critical it is for global companies to have reliable, local partners. AquaChemie's facility addresses this need, offering consistent, high-quality products while improving supply chain resilience.
Ms. Shobitha Anand, Executive Director of AquaChemie Global Chemicals, emphasized the bigger picture: "The supply chain challenges of the past four years were a wake-up call. This facility isn't just an investment for us—it's a solution for the entire industry. We're here to offer continuity, reliability, and innovation right at the source."
She added: "Our plant is more than just a production hub. It's a symbol of what's possible when local manufacturing meets global standards. We are shaping the future of specialty chemicals in the region, and this is only the beginning."
Sustainability is at the heart of AquaChemie's operations. The facility adheres to global environmental standards and has earned the Certified Green Industry Label from the Environmental Agency – Abu Dhabi. Companies key sustainability initiatives include: Emission Control and Real-Time Monitoring, Partnerships with Tadweer for eco-friendly waste disposal and Tree-Planting Projects to reduce carbon impact.
For decades, the GCC's chemical industry has grown on the back of its rich hydrocarbon resources and strategic downstream investments. AquaChemie's new facility builds on this momentum, boosting the UAE's chemical production capabilities and reducing reliance on imports.
'This facility is a proud milestone for AquaChemie and a vital step for the region's industrial evolution,' said Mr. Anandkumar. 'We are here to grow with the region, innovate for the future, and create meaningful change in the chemical sector.'
For more information, visit www.aquachemie.com and explore how AquaChemie is shaping the future of specialty and industrial chemicals.
-Ends-
About AquaChemie
Established in 2008, AquaChemie has grown into one of the leading chemical players in the GCC region and beyond. With a steadfast commitment to manufacturing, bulk distribution, and value-added services, the company has invested over $200 million in assets and infrastructure across the region.
Operating across diverse industries—including Oil & Gas upstream and downstream, Power & Desalination, Fertilizer, Paints & Coatings, Pulp & Paper, and Metals—AquaChemie has solidified its reputation for providing high quality products & reliable solutions for the costumers. Its strategic partnership with Kurita Japan, a global leader in water and process treatment chemicals, has further positioned the company as a frontrunner in the specialty chemicals sector.
Founded by Mr. Anandkumar, AquaChemie is built on the pillars of reliability, safety, and customer-centric solutions. Over the years, the company has taken bold strides, including the establishment of seven specialty chemicals manufacturing plants in GCC and India.
A defining milestone in AquaChemie's journey came with the formation of AquaChemie Global Chemicals (ACGC), KEZAD marking a new era of localization, innovation, efficiency, and sustainability in the industry.
For more information, visit: www.aquachemie.com
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
2 days ago
- Zawya
USD/EGP exchange rates slightly up on Thursday
Arab Finance: The trade exchange between the Egyptian pound and the USD rose on Thursday, hitting EGP 49.72 for buying and EGP 49.82 for selling at Banque Misr at 3:36 PM. The exchange rate also registered EGP 49.72 for purchasing and EGP 49.82 for selling at the National Bank of Egypt (NBE) at 2:05 PM. At the Commercial International Bank Egypt (CIB), the USD traded at EGP 49.72 for buying and EGP 49.82 for selling. © 2020-2023 Arab Finance For Information Technology. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Zawya
2 days ago
- Zawya
Watch out for dollar FX fall more than 'de-dollarization': Mike Dolan
(The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.) LONDON: Evidence of "de-dollarization" around the world remains scant, but many major investors fear a gradual drawback from U.S. assets is now inevitable and the dollar's exchange rate may have to fall further to clear the market. The debate about the U.S. dollar's dominant role in global trade, reserves and investment portfolios has smoldered for decades, but it has reached a crescendo during the turbulent first few months of President Donald Trump's second term in the White House. European Central Bank boss Christine Lagarde recently put a spotlight on this shift in market thinking, noting "highly unusual cross-asset correlations" involving simultaneous drops in the dollar, Treasuries and U.S. stocks after Trump's import tariffs announcement in April. But despite all of the de-dollarization noise, there are still no clear indications of a mass withdrawal from dollar assets at large. In fact, some investors dismiss these fears altogether given the pattern of the past 10 years. Bank of America strategist Ralph Axel argues that despite all of the speculation, the world has actually been "rapidly dollarizing" over the past decade - at least in the sense that dollar liabilities have expanded enormously. In a research report on Thursday, Axel points in particular to the growth of the so-called shadow banking system, otherwise known as "Non-Bank Financial Intermediation", or NBFI, and refers to the universe of investment funds, private credit firms and even crypto funds that exist outside the regulated banking system. All dollar liabilities are effectively "money" in the sense that they can be sold for dollar cash and are thus ultimately claims on the Federal Reserve. Some of these liabilities are direct claims, such as U.S. Treasuries, but there are a blizzard of indirect claims through uninsured deposits, mortgage and corporate debt and investment fund shares. Dollar liabilities have clearly ballooned in the past decade. The U.S. federal debt has increased four-fold in less than 10 years to some $36 trillion, while bank deposits have more than doubled to $18 trillion since 2008. And, as Axel points out, the total size of "shadow banks" has also more than doubled since 2009 to roughly $63 trillion, according to S&P Global data. While much of this expansion simply reflects asset price appreciation, Axel notes that "the NBFI system can only grow because of demand for its liabilities." The point of all this number-crunching is to undermine the simplistic de-dollarization narrative. If de-dollarization were truly accelerating then fewer, not more, U.S. liabilities could be created, whether from the government, traditional lenders or shadow banks. And the trend has clearly been the other way. "A big selling wave can move prices and exchange rates temporarily but does not de-dollarize," he wrote. "As a result, we think the de-dollarization theme is less threatening, especially given what appears to be a stronger trend of global dollarization over time." WOOD FOR THE TREES In other words, the exchange rate of the dollar can fall even if dollar assets are not contracting. A weakening exchange rate simply signals that temporary demand for dollar assets is declining and a lower dollar sticker price is needed to clear the market. "We would caution investors to not miss the dollar story for the dollar trees," the Bank of America strategist concluded, in reference to the confusion between exchange rates and the ubiquity of dollars and dollar assets. Of course, the trends of the last 10 to 15 years may have crested, and that's precisely this year's concern. Questions about the dollar exchange exposure were also raised by Deutsche Bank's currency research team this week in a deep dive into the hedging behavior of the world's big pension and insurance funds with the heaviest overseas assets holdings. They showed that Nordic, Dutch and Australian institutional funds had more than 50% of their investment portfolios invested abroad, with Japan's and Switzerland's foreign holdings also high at above 30%. They concluded that most of these investments are in the U.S. and much of the currency risk is not being hedged, meaning exposure to the U.S. dollar is likely historically high. But as these funds' hedging activity is now increasing, they reckon, it should pressure the dollar exchange rate lower. All of which raises an important, albeit circular, question. To what extent was the performance of U.S. assets exaggerated in recent years by investors assumption of an ever-rising dollar and a hedge against global shocks? And was the dollar just rising because of that outsize overseas demand for U.S. stocks and bonds? And, on the flip side, to what extent could a weakening dollar now cause demand for those assets to fall? What market pricing near mid-year suggests is that even if de-dollarization fears are overblown, the dollar's exchange rate may be a necessary safety valve. The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters. (By Mike Dolan; Editing by Jamie Freed)
Web Release
2 days ago
- Web Release
Patron Capital Secures Major Investment From Mitsubishi Estate to Accelerate European Growth and Expand Into New Subsectors
Patron Capital ('Patron'), the pan-European institutional investor focused on property-backed investments, has secured a major investment from Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. ('MEC'), through its Mitsubishi Estate Global Partners ('MEGP') investment management business. MEGP is purchasing a majority stake in Patron, as well as providing €600 million in the form of equity commitments to Patron's funds and financing for new subsector strategies including real estate credit. Approximately 11% of Patron's capital over the past 25 years has come from Middle Eastern investors, including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, foundations and family offices. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory consents, is part of a long-term strategic growth plan for Patron, providing new institutional backing and positioning the business positively for sustainable growth well into the future. Keith Breslauer, Patron's founder and managing director, and the team of senior partners will continue to manage Patron's operations and lead the business for the long term, retaining a significant minority equity stake. As well as new capital for growth, MEC's investment will provide Patron with access to a broader pool of investors through MEGP and support the expansion of Patron's fund and product offerings while continuing to nurture its entrepreneurial culture. Patron is targeting strategic growth areas across private European real estate markets, including in the opportunistic investing space, where it has a 26-year track record, as well as across multiple new subsectors and asset classes where recent market adjustments and structural macroeconomic trends are presenting compelling new long-term risk-adjusted opportunities. Patron's experienced senior management team and operational expertise, combined with MEC's support, enable Patron to identify and deliver on these opportunities. For example, Patron recently announced the launch of its real estate credit business, as elevated interest rates and constrained traditional lenders have created a need for private lenders with real estate expertise to fill funding gaps facing borrowers. MEGP also sees attractive long-term investment opportunities across Europe's private real estate markets and has identified Patron as an ideal partner to offer investors access to these, recognising the longevity of Patron's senior team and its exceptional track record of consistently delivering top-quartile double-digit returns across its flagship Western European opportunistic strategy. Patron works with many of the world's leading pension funds, endowments, foundations and family offices. MEC is one of Japan's largest, listed real estate developers with a market capitalisation of $23.06 billion USD (€20.22 billion EUR) as of 06 June 2025. MEC is strategically growing its MEGP real estate investment management business globally, including through its subsidiary platforms in the United States, Europe, Japan and Asia-Pacific. Both firms have an agile, entrepreneurial approach and aim to deliver social benefits alongside exceptional returns. Keith Breslauer, Managing Partner and Founder of Patron Capital, said: 'In the 25 years since Patron was founded, we have worked successfully through many cycles, building a high-calibre team across Europe and using our deep relationships and skillset to access opportunities and drive market-leading returns. This significant investment from MEC, particularly as a leading property investor and developer, is a strong endorsement of our success and is the next step in our predefined growth plan to take the business to the next level and position it for sustainable, long-term growth. 'MEC has an exceptional history spanning over 130 years as a real estate developer and investor with a long-term strategic vision, goals and objectives that are aligned with ours in every way. From a focus on social impact and serving communities, to supporting people to create an entrepreneurial culture, and responding quickly to changing investment contexts, these are two organisations with shared values and proven longevity that have been built on the same approach. We are excited to work with MEC following this investment that will accelerate our growth and deliver significant benefits to our staff and investors.' Patron's current and previous funds opportunistically target distressed and undervalued investments, directly or indirectly related to property, across Western Europe. In 2024, it closed its seventh flagship fund, Patron Capital, L.P. VII ('Fund VII'), raising in excess of €970 million during a period of declining real estate private equity fundraising, with a high proportion of capital coming in the form of re-ups from Patron's longstanding investors.
