At Proclad's global annual sales and strategy meeting held in Dubai for the first time, Yaseen M Jaffer, CEO, Proclad Group said: 'Our inhouse research and development wing in Scotland and Singapore has invented new advanced technologies last year that has greatly improved the efficiency and quality of our products, benefiting our blue-chip customers and eventually the entire industry in both upstream and downstream sectors.

'These technologies are path-breaking in the oil & gas industry and we expect our turnover to double this year due to highly reduced production time to stay ahead of the expected growth in the regional oil & gas industry.'

Proclad currently provides a full range of technologies, products and services, including manufacturing of weld clad pipe and pipeline components, induction bending of unclad and clad pipe, forged standard and clad fittings and specialist CNC machining services, engineering design, project management and consultancy.

With manufacturing facilities in Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific and supported by a global network of sales offices staffed by experienced managers and engineers, Proclad is, in terms of capacity, the largest pipe cladding company in the world and is expected to retain that position due to increased turnover this year.

The sales and strategy meet saw 12 of Proclad Group's senior executives deliberate industry standards, global demand, market reviews, products, agents, projects and territories group sales figures, new deals and factories and the strategy forward for a new market approach in 2007-2008.

'By adopting new advanced technologies Proclad can now focus on new territories like West Africa, Latin America and CIS Countries -areas burgeoning in O&G exploration, drilling and production,' explained Jaffer.

'The strategy meeting in Dubai - traditionally held at the UK headquarters - is a forerunner to Proclad's operational headquarters moving to the Middle East due to the increasing role this region plays in global opinion and decision making."

'Forty per cent of our revenues come from the Middle East region.'

Proclad's AED 800 million manufacturing complex of excellence under construction at Dubai Techno Park is a reflection of that change within the group.

'The Techno Park complex being developed across one million square feet is expected to be fully complete by 2007 and will house more than 300 employees, including scientists, consultants, engineers and technicians. We will have the capacity to produce over 400 kilometres of pipes with diameters ranging between four and 20 inches,' explained Jaffer.

The company is currently bidding over 20 projects valued from US$ 500 million in the Arab world and other regions..