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  • Pakistan's sole PVC resin manufacturer eyes 'big opportunity' to supply construction materials to NEOM


Pakistan's sole PVC resin manufacturer eyes 'big opportunity' to supply construction materials to NEOM

A handout picture provided by Saudi's NEOM on July 26, 2022 shows the design plan for the 500-metre tall parallel structures, known collectively as The Line, in the heart of the Red Sea megacity NEOM. (AFP/NEOM/File)
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Updated 01 June 2023
KHURSHID AHMED 
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Pakistan's sole PVC resin manufacturer eyes 'big opportunity' to supply construction materials to NEOM

  • Engro Polymer and Chemicals Limited says Pakistani manufacturers have already bid to supply PVC material to kingdom
  • Demand for PVC materials to keep booming for at least two years after first phase of construction in NEOM, says EPCL
Updated 01 June 2023
KHURSHID AHMED 

KARACHI: Engro Polymer and Chemicals Limited (EPCL), Pakistan’s sole manufacturer of PVC resin material, said on Wednesday it is eyeing supply of the product for construction at Saudi Arabia’s planned smart city NEOM which can help it earn $300 million in exports. 

Neom, a $500 billion project, is a key element of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan as part of the kingdom’s mission to diversify away from its oil-dependent economy. The project is estimated to create 380,000 jobs and contribute SAR180 billion to Kingdom’s GDP. Saudi Arabia’s flagship business and tourism development project at the Red Sea coast is expected to see massive construction in the coming months and years. 

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin is the raw material used to manufacture various construction materials. These include PVC pipes, Wood Plastic Composite (WPC) windows and furniture, Stone Plastic Composite (SPC) flooring, and cable insulation. PVC is also used to manufacture medical equipment. 

“A big opportunity is knocking at the door in the form of Neom,” Muhammad Farhan, general manager downstream business and market development at EPCL, told Arab News. Farhan was speaking at a media briefing at the Bin Qasim industrial zone in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi. 

“Neom is a $500 billion project that requires massive construction materials including PVC downstream products that are available in Pakistan,” Farhan added. 

“In fact, some of the Pakistani manufacturers have already bid for the supply of material to the kingdom.” 

Farhan said Pakistani manufacturers of PVC products had received overwhelming response from Saudi participants of the Big 5, a mega construction show held in Dubai in December 2022. 

He said Saudis are exploring different options while manufacturers in the kingdom are looking for other manufacturers who can make products for them. 

The EPCL official said the demand for the basic construction material, including cables and pipes, will increase in the first phase of construction at Neom and will keep booming for at least two years. Simultaneously, demand for value-added products for construction on the exterior, including SPC and WPC, will increase.

To take greater advantage of Neom’s lucrative opportunities, Farhan said the government can play a vital role by engaging Saudi authorities and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP). 

“We saw the interest of the Saudi participants in the value-added products – they want to import but they were also looking for investment in the kingdom for manufacturing and as a nation, we have access capacity and by utilizing that capacity we can avail the opportunity,” he added. 

Muhammad Idrees, EPCL’s chief commercial officer, said the country is already exporting PVC resin to Gulf countries UAE. Bahrain, Oman, and Egypt because of the freight advantage. 

“Engro has installed capacity of 300,000-ton resin production while the downstream industry has close to a million-ton capacity,” Idrees said.

“The downstream PVC industry can fully utilize its excess capacity and earn $300 million in terms of export revenue by standardizing and improving the quality of finished products.”

He said the $300 million PVC export potential could materialize within the next three to four years by the value-added industry through the export of surplus volumes and products. 

Idrees said EPCL is collaborating with TDAP to explore global markets to export value-added PVC downstream products. 

“In the last two years, the company exported surplus products worth $48 million to Turkiye and Middle Eastern markets, while import substitution of around $300 million contributed significantly toward solving Pakistan’s balance of payments situation,” he added. 

Mahmood Siddiqui, vice president of manufacturing at EPCL, said the company has invested over $188 million since 2015 in plant expansion and other upgrade projects for higher efficiency, reliability, and diversification of operations.

Pakistan’s per capita PVC consumption stands at 1.2 kg versus a global average of 6.1 kg. Per capita consumption growth, EPCL officials said, would be driven by rising per capita income, increasing urbanization, and robust domestic manufacturing in the coming years. 

However, they said the company was facing challenges of importing equipment for additional plants as commercial banks refuse to open Letters of Credit (LCs) as Pakistan faces a dollar crunch amid a worsening economic crisis. 

Topics: NEOM Engro Polymer and Chemicals Limited PVC #SAUDI ARABIA Pakistan Saudi Ties

Eight soldiers, civilian killed in separate attacks in Pakistan — police

Updated 29 March 2025
AFP
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Eight soldiers, civilian killed in separate attacks in Pakistan — police

  • Last year was the deadliest year in almost a decade in Pakistan, with more than 1,600 people killed in militant attacks
  • Nearly half of them were security forces personnel, according to the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies
Updated 29 March 2025
AFP

PESHAWAR: At least eight soldiers and a civilian were killed in western Pakistan on Friday in separate attacks along the border with Afghanistan, where violence has erupted in recent months, police told AFP.
Seven soldiers were killed in a security operation against “armed Taliban” in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a police source said on Saturday.
“Fighters hiding in a house fired on security forces,” the source said.
The army deployed combat helicopters during the hours-long fight, killing eight Taliban fighters, while six other soldiers were wounded, the source said.
A blast from a bomb planted by separatists on a motorbike also killed a soldier and a civilian further south in Balochistan, police officer Mohsin Ali told AFP.
The area was the scene of a spectacular attack last month when militants held hundreds of train passengers hostage and killed dozens of off-duty soldiers.
Three soldiers and a civilian were also wounded in the blast that took place as a military vehicle drove through Gwadar district, a sensitive area that hosts substantial Chinese infrastructure.
More than 190 people, mostly soldiers, have been killed in attacks since the start of the year by armed groups fighting the government in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to an AFP tally.
The Pakistani Taliban — known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — announced in mid-March a “spring campaign” against security forces.
Last year was the deadliest year in almost a decade in Pakistan, with more than 1,600 people killed in attacks — nearly half of them security forces personnel — according to the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies.
The violence is largely limited to Pakistan’s border regions with Afghanistan.

Topics: militancy in Pakistan KP militancy

Pakistan PM’s aide meets UN chief, stresses need to oppose proposals for expulsion of Palestinians

Updated 29 March 2025
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Pakistan PM’s aide meets UN chief, stresses need to oppose proposals for expulsion of Palestinians

  • The development comes more than a month after the US president, Israeli PM remarked about relocation of Palestinians to Egypt, Jordan or other countries
  • Their remarks were rejected by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan and other Muslim nations apart from being condemned by international rights groups
Updated 29 March 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Tariq Fatemi, a special assistant to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has stressed the need to oppose any proposals for the expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland, Pakistan’s mission at the United Nations (UN) said on Saturday, following Fatemi’s meeting with Secretary-General António Guterres.
During his meeting, Fatemi briefed the UN secretary-general about Pakistan’s priorities during its term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council that began last month, according to the Pakistani mission.
He reaffirmed Islamabad’s strong support for the UN’s central role in addressing global challenges, including those related to peace and security, development and climate change.
“SAPM [special assistant to the prime minister] said that the world community should call upon Israel to end its brutal campaign of violence and terror against the hapless Palestinians,” the Pakistani mission said in a statement.
“[He] stressed the need for strongly opposing proposals for the expulsion of the Palestinians from their homeland.”
The development comes more than a month after remarks by United States (US) President Donald Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu about the relocation of Palestinians to Egypt, Jordan or other countries, which were rejected by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan and other nations apart from being condemned by international rights groups.
Palestinian territory – encompassing the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem – has been occupied by Israel since 1967. Pakistan does not recognize Israel and has consistently called for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters.”
During the meeting, Fatemi also underscored Pakistan’s longstanding commitment to adherence to the principles of the UN Charter, including UN peacekeeping efforts, according to the Pakistani mission.
“Secretary-General Guterres thanked the SAPM for Pakistan’s active engagement at the United Nations and its role in maintaining international peace and security through its contribution toward UN Peacekeeping,” the Pakistani mission added.

Topics: Tariq Fatemi U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

Pakistan offers assistance to Myanmar, Thailand as quake death toll passes 1,000

Updated 29 March 2025
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Pakistan offers assistance to Myanmar, Thailand as quake death toll passes 1,000

  • The earthquake quake flattened buildings, downed bridges, and cracked roads across swathes of Myanmar, demolished a 30-story skyscraper in Bangkok
  • Aid agencies say Myanmar is totally unprepared to deal with a disaster of this magnitude, where a civil war has already displaced some 3.5 million people
Updated 29 March 2025
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday offered Pakistan’s assistance to Myanmar and Thailand following a deadly earthquake that has claimed more than 1,000 lives, with many still feared to be trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
The shallow 7.7-magnitude tremor hit northwest of the city of Sagaing in central Myanmar on Friday afternoon and was followed minutes later by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock.
It flattened buildings, downed bridges, and cracked roads across swathes of Myanmar, and even demolished a 30-story skyscraper under construction hundreds of kilometers away in Bangkok.
Sharif said he was saddened by the devastating earthquake and his thoughts and prayers were with the people of the two Southeast Asian nations in this difficult time.
“Pakistan stands in solidarity with Thailand and Myanmar, offers our support and wishes them strength, safety, and a swift recovery from this catastrophe,” he said on X.
At least 1,002 people were killed and nearly 2,400 injured in Myanmar, the ruling junta said in a statement. Around 10 more deaths have been confirmed in Bangkok.
But with communications badly disrupted, the true scale of the disaster is only starting to emerge from the isolated military-ruled state, and the toll is expected to rise significantly.
It was the biggest quake to hit Myanmar in decades and junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing, issued an exceptionally rare appeal for international aid on Friday, indicating the severity of the calamity.
Offers of foreign assistance began coming in, with President Donald Trump on Friday pledging US help.
“It’s a real bad one, and we will be helping. We’ve already spoken with the country,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
An initial flight from India carrying hygiene kits, blankets, food parcels and other essentials landed in the commercial capital Yangon on Saturday.
China said it sent an 82-person team of rescuers to Myanmar.
Aid agencies have warned that Myanmar is totally unprepared to deal with a disaster of this magnitude. Some 3.5 million people were displaced by the raging civil war, many at risk of hunger, even before the quake struck.

Topics: Earthquake in Myanmar Myanmar Earthquake Thailand Earthquake Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

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Pakistan slashes petrol price by Re1 for next fortnight

Updated 22 min 14 sec ago
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Pakistan slashes petrol price by Re1 for next fortnight

  • Petrol is mostly used in the South Asian country for private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers
  • The fortnightly adjustment of fuel prices ensures the net impact of changes in import costs is passed on to consumers
Updated 22 min 14 sec ago
Usama Iqbal Khawaja

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has reduced the price of petrol by Rs1 per liter for the next fortnight, the Finance Division announced late Friday.
After the latest revision, a liter of petrol will now cost Rs254.63, while the price of high-speed diesel remains unchanged at Rs258.64, according to a Finance Division notification.
“The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority has worked out the consumer prices of petroleum products based on the price variations in the international market,” the notification read.
Fuel prices in Pakistan are reviewed and adjusted fortnightly. The mechanism ensures that the net impact of changes in import costs is passed on to consumers, helping sustain the country’s fuel supply chain.
Petrol is mostly used in Pakistan for private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws, and two-wheelers. At the same time, diesel powers heavy vehicles used for transportation of good across the South Asian country.

Topics: Pakistan petrol prices petrol prices petrol prices in Pakistan

On Ramadan nights, Islamabad residents are all cued up and ready to win

Updated 29 March 2025
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On Ramadan nights, Islamabad residents are all cued up and ready to win

  • Snooker tournaments at clubs often increase during holy month, providing social and recreational outlet after breaking the fast
  • Pakistan has strong tradition in snooker, with players like Muhammad Asif achieving significant success on the international stage
Updated 29 March 2025
Shahjahan Khurram & Falak Mahmood Khan

Usman Sartaj reached for the small, cube-shaped chalk on the edge of the snooker table and rotated it over the cue tip in a smooth, circular motion. 

He then struck the cue ball hard, sending it crashing into the others, dispersing them from their triangular formation to all parts of the table. 

During Ramadan, snooker games and tournaments at cue-ball clubs often increase, providing a social and recreational outlet for people after breaking their fast. Things are no different in Islamabad where many youngsters like 25-year-old Sartaj, who runs a business of importing and exporting cars, frequent snooker clubs and play until the pre-dawn suhoor meal. 

“There is a lot of buzz in snooker clubs during Ramadan, tournaments are held and various players come from different places,” Sartaj told Arab News at the “Snooker 13” club in Islamabad’s G-13 area where he had come to play after offering the voluntary Tarawih night prayers earlier this week.

Local players stand around a snooker table at “Snooker 13” club in Islamabad, Pakistan, on March 27, 2025. (AN Photo)

Why does he prefer snooker over other games?

“Snooker is a great game, it eliminates a person’s tension and stress,” Sartaj said.

Abdul Hadi, the supervisor at Snooker 13, said around 500 people visited the club daily, a number that surged to around 1,500-1,600 in Ramadan during the hours between the iftar and suhoor meals.

One reason for its popularity was affordability, Hadi said. 

“It’s around Rs150-200 [$0.54-0.71] for a normal frame,” he told Arab News. “It’s a regular rate, not too cheap and not too expensive. So everyone can afford it, even the students and people under 18 years.”

A local player plays a shot during a snooker match at “Snooker 13” club in Islamabad, Pakistan, on March 27, 2025. (AN Photo)

Muhammad Shahbaz, a 27-year-old driver who works in Dubai but was in Pakistan to spend Ramadan and Eid with his family, was a fan of famed British snooker player Ronnie O’Sullivan, and said he hoped to emulate his favorite athlete’s performances during Ramada games.

“We admire Ronnie’s game and love to watch and follow him,” Shahbaz said. “We try to follow his tricks and his shots.”

Pakistan has a strong tradition in snooker, with players like Muhammad Asif achieving significant success on the international stage, including multiple IBSF World Snooker Championship titles.

“There is a lot of snooker talent in Pakistan and if we want to promote it [further], the government has to support it,” Shahbaz said.

Shavez Ahmed, a 30-year-old realtor who was enjoying a game at one of the nine tables at the club, said there was no doubt snooker was one of the most popular games in Ramadan. 

“Other games are impressive too, we play cricket and badminton as well,” he said. “But the craze for snooker in Ramadan never ends.”

Topics: Ramadan 2025 Ramadan in Pakistan

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