In Saudi Arabia, a new tire plant will be built

Saudi Green Sea has announced plans to build a tire plant called Sand Stone in Yanbu in partnership with an unnamed Chinese partner. Additionally, the project will involve the participation of the large local petrochemical company Sabic, which will supply raw materials for production.

Construction is expected to begin this year and take 30 months, with tire production scheduled to start by the end of 2028. Green Sea intends to produce 2.5 million passenger and 2.5 million truck tires, as well as 150,000 aircraft tires per year at the new plant. Furthermore, the facility's capacity may be increased by 3 million tires annually in the future.

The company notes that the new production will reduce the Saudi market's dependence on tire imports and contribute to the development of the local industry. The planned investment amounts are not specified.

Currently, there is no domestic tire production in Saudi Arabia, but several projects have already been launched to establish it. For example, a joint venture between Pirelli and the Saudi Arabian Sovereign Fund (PIF) is planned to be opened in the country, and Black Arrow Tire Co. (Blatco) intends to build a plant in Yanbu in cooperation with the Thai Golden Star Rubber and the Korean Kumho.

Image: sandstonetires.com