Alec Fitout Opens 7,500 sq m Ras Al Khaimah Factory With 3D Printing and 200 Jobs

The company said the facility has created more than 200 specialist jobs in design, production, engineering and skilled craft work. It will supply a growing list of projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the wider region.

What the Plant Contains

The site has 24 machines covering the whole production process, including CNC machining, precision cutting, timber profiling, veneer pressing and specialist finishing. It also has a metalworks section for laser cutting, bending, drilling and welding.

Alec Fitout singled out the plant's 3D printing, which it plans to use for customised mock-ups, exhibition pieces, feature installations and specialist fit-out components. The company said the technology should speed up production and allow more intricate designs.

The facility is near Wynn Al Marjan Island, the integrated resort that is one of Alec Fitout's largest contracts. According to the company, the size and complexity of that project were among the reasons it expanded its manufacturing.

Why It Matters

Khaleej Times reported that demand for highly customised hotels, entertainment venues and cultural buildings is driving fit-out specialists in the UAE to invest in their own advanced manufacturing. Owning production gives them more control over quality, speed and supply chains. The government's Make it in the Emirates programme, which aims to build up local industrial capacity, supports the same shift.

"Across our pipeline, we are seeing greater emphasis on the creation of destinations that offer something genuinely distinctive," said Laurent Farge, Alec Fitout's managing director. He said that combining 3D printing, advanced joinery, metalworks and specialist finishing in one place gives the company "a unique regional capability".

Alec Fitout did not say how much the facility cost or when it opened.

For developers and investors behind the Gulf's large hospitality and leisure projects, more fit-out work made locally could mean shorter lead times and less exposure to delays in imported components. Contractors may also feel more pressure to invest in digital fabrication to win complex jobs.