Saudi Mais Company for Medical Products (SMMP) has announced producing the kingdom’s first fully manufactures N95 masks from polypropylene manufactured in SABIC, in cooperation with the Dimas Nonwoven Fabrics Company.
This announcement takes the kingdom a step closer towards localizing medical personal protective equipment.
The product has obtained the necessary approvals after meeting the requirements of the Food and Drug Authority.
SABIC’s polymers portfolio is organized largely around the automotive, foam/lightweight and pipe segments, helping find the right alternatives to replace traditional materials, such as wood, cotton or glass, used in a vast array of consumer and industrial products.
Yousef al-Benyan, SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, underscored the company’s keenness to support national industry and achieve objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030 to maximize local content and empower strategic industries through its national initiative “Nusaned.”
The company works in an integrated manner with industrial institutions throughout the kingdom to provide innovative and sustainable solutions by developing raw materials that are used in the manufacture of highly used products and raising their quality and efficiency, he explained.
“The local production of these masks represents a key step in the field of localizing medical products, which would contribute to enhancing prevention and raising levels of public health.”
He pointed out that the “Nusaned initiative works with a wide base of local entrepreneurs and manufacturers in the field of localizing strategic industries and transferring the technologies necessary for these industries.”
A team from SABIC visited Dimas and Mais plants and shed light on the initiatives’ efforts to produce the first raw materials to manufacture the N95 mask from local materials.
The success of this step reflects the importance of joint cooperation between the private and public sectors to support local products and localize industries in the field of personal and health protection equipment.
