Al Watania for Industries and China’s Donghexin Group Announce Saudi Arabia’s First Tinplate Production Plant
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – January 15, 2025:
Al Watania for Industries and China’s Donghexin Group (DHX) have announced a joint agreement to establish the first integrated tinplate manufacturing plant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This strategic move aims to localize one of the key components in the metal packaging value chain, in line with the economic diversification goals of Saudi Vision 2030. The agreement was unveiled today during the fourth edition of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF2025), under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Mr. Bandar Ibrahim Alkhorayef.
The joint venture, with WFI holding a majority stake, will build a state-of-the-art facility in Ras Al-Khair Industrial City. The plant will produce 400,000 metric tons of tinplate annually, meeting domestic demand and positioning Saudi Arabia as a regional exporter.
This initiative is intended to meet growing demand of the MENA region’s tinplate industries. The collaboration between WFI and DHX build’s on the strengths of WFI and DHX utilizing advanced technological and operational capabilities and marketing and customer relationship expertise to create strong competitive advantage for the JV. This initiative comes with significant local content advantages not the least of it knowledge transfer and local workforce development and job creation for over 500 jobs.
Aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, the plant will strengthen the industrial supply chain, boost exports, and create economic opportunities while reducing reliance on imports.
Eng. Mosaed Al Ohali, Chairman of Al Watania for Industries, said: “This joint venture demonstrates how international collaboration can help achieve Saudi Vision 2030 goals. It addresses domestic needs and positions Saudi Arabia as a key player in the global tinplate market.”
Dr. Li Dong, Chairman of DHX, stated that the DHX Group and WFI have formed a strong alliance to establish the first full-process tinplate factory in Saudi Arabia, introducing world-leading tinplate technology and demonstrating significant foresight. The DHX Group aims to transform this factory into the world’s green electricity, low-carbon facility, ensuring efficient, high-quality production and establishing a benchmark for the global tinplate industry. This project will significantly contribute to the advancement of high-end intelligent manufacturing in Saudi Arabia and the successful realization of Saudi Vision 2030 goals.
Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Juaid, CEO of WFI, added: ‘This strategic project is expected to commence operations by early 2027, marking a significant step towards increasing the local content as well as the Kingdom becoming an exporter of this crucial tinplate, thereby supporting the food industries, fostering industrial self-reliance, and diversifying the economy.”
