Sunshine Coast building products firm seeks export success in Middle East

An export-savvy Sunshine Coast company has formed a new formal partnership to seek opportunities in the highly competitive Middle East construction industry.

Cooroy-based building products company, Ritek, signed a memorandum of understanding last week with the Australian arm of major international construction company, Laing O’Rourke, at a Middle East Export Network Forum organised by Trade Queensland.

Trade Minister John Mickel said Trade Queensland had played an important role in the formation of the partnership.

“Trade Queensland holds regular Middle East Export Network Forums, and organises regular trade missions to encourage the State’s exporting companies to investigate partnering opportunities in Middle East construction and infrastructure projects,” Mr Mickel said.

“Laing O'Rourke is one of the biggest players in construction globally and is currently undertaking a number of major projects in the Middle East.

“Ritek, began operations in 1983 and currently employs around 100 people. The company is an innovator of building solutions, most notably roof and wall systems.

“Ritek’s projects will primarily be in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, but there will also be a local outcome through financial benefits and jobs for Queenslanders on the Sunshine Coast,” Mr Mickel said.

Laing O'Rourke Strategic Development Executive for Queensland, Josh Kennedy-White, encouraged the State's businesses to take advantage of the business matching services and trade missions offered by Trade Queensland to gain a foothold in lucrative Middle East markets.

“The export services offered through Trade Queensland are unique and extremely valuable.

“Doing business in the Middle East is all about building personal relationships.

“Trade Queensland can provide introductions with Middle East decision makers and match your business with companies like Laing O'Rourke that are already established in the region," Mr Kennedy-White said.

Mr Mickel said Laing O’Rourke’s current Middle East projects included Al Raha Beach, a new waterfront city designed as a gateway to Abu Dhabi including various residential buildings, a general hospital, galleries, restaurants and cafés, a marine sport precinct, office towers and several hotels.

“I visited the Al Raha Beach project together with representatives of Ritek on a recent trade mission that I led to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates last November,” Mr Mickel said.

“The MoU that has been signed as a follow up from that visit paves the way for this local Queensland firm to collaborate and partner with Laing O’Rourke to take part in its projects in the Middle East,” he said.

Despite the impacts of the global financial crisis, the Middle East continues to experience high levels of economic activity resulting from the oil and gas-rich economies in the region including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait.

These economies are creating multiple business opportunities at all levels for Queensland exporters particularly in construction and infrastructure-related services.

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