GE center in Saudi Arabia starts manufacturing gas turbines

As part of its $1 billion investment commitment in Saudi Arabia, General Electric has announced manufacturing of its advanced and high efficiency gas turbines at its GE Manufacturing Technology Center at Dammam Industrial City-II. The first gas turbine will roll out in 2016.

During a customer reception Tuesday at its center, GE unfolded its multi-generation plan to continue developing manufacturing capability in the Kingdom and to manufacture its most advanced gas turbines at the Center which is expected to roll out in 2016.

The plan is designed to develop local talent and supply chain capabilities, match it with state-of-the-art facilities, and progress the scope, sophistication, and quality of manufacturing at the Center. The expanded facility will create several direct and indirect jobs and will have the capability to produce 8-10 gas turbines per year, with ample room for expansion over time. 

At the function attended by several leading businessmen and corporate top executives, Ziyad Al-Shiha, CEO of Saudi Electricity Company, said: “GE has been a long-term partner of SEC in driving our power plants by providing the latest in turbine technology and after-sales support. The expansion of a local manufacturing facility can potentially drive localized innovation of turbines to help meet specific needs, thus, adding to our operational efficiency.” 

The Manufacturing Technology Center in Dammam is an established center of excellence for gas turbine service and manufacturing, and today supports over 70 customers from 30 countries.  With a workforce of 600, nearly 75 percent of them Saudis, the Center has delivered support to increase the performance of more than 550 gas turbines to date. 

GE has set up GE Technical Academy in Jubail Industrial City where a two-year training program will graduate approximately 150 students per year, adding to the highly-skilled Saudi talent pipeline needed for the Center’s operations and expansion plans and for the SMEs in the local supply chain.