Gulf Construction Online - UWP marks a decade of service in the region

Timber & Plywood

Citibank building in Bahrain ... one of UWP’s projects in the region.

UWP marks a decade of service in the region

01 May 2008

United Wood Products (UWP), which this year marks a decade of service to the regional market, will put the spotlight on its exclusive wood products for building interiors at the gulfBID exhibition in Bahrain this month, Established in 1998, the company is one of the leading woodworking companies in Saudi Arabia, providing high-quality products and excellent customer service.

The company designs and fabricates all types of millworks while carrying out cost estimates, delivery, installation and supervision services for its customers. Driven by a motto to ensure “fitness for purpose”, “safety in use” and “value for money”, UWP has made rapid strides in Saudi Arabia with products and services that are aimed meet the needs and expectations of the market.
“Our main wooden products are fire-rated and non-fire-rated doors, cladding panels, closets, pergolas, kitchen post-formed tops, skirting, handrails and other type of millworks. Aesthetic elegance, functionality, durability and preventive fire protection are some of the parameters to which we apply our innovative efforts and expertise. The design elements of our wooden doors can be customised to readily adapt with traditional, contemporary and futuristic architectural building styles for residential, industrial, commercial and institutional buildings,” says a company spokesperson.
UWP’s factories are located in the Second Industrial Estate in Riyadh on a total area of 64,500 sq m, of which 34,520 sq m are dedicated to production. The manufacturing facilities comprise two units – the joinery and lamination sections – which specialise in a variety of products and are supported by essential services.
UWP is certified to manufacture fire-rated door sets according to British standards (fire-test criteria BS476 part 22 1987) and also accredited to Underwriters Laboratories (UL-ANSI-10B) for the manufacture of fire-rated door leaves. It operates a quality management system that complies with the requirements of BS EN ISO 9001:2000 and is also approved by Saudi Arabian Standards Organisation (Saso) to manufacture doors to its requirements.
“All solid timber hardwoods, which are procured from various regions of the world, are dried in modern kiln dryers to specified criteria prior to use in any type of millworks. Its doors are engineered to withstand extreme climatic conditions of the Gulf region, so that there is no shrinkage and expansion. In addition, kiln-dried finger-jointed timber stiles and rails are used, to ensure the stability of door and avoid warping. Panel doors are professionally crafted from different species of hardwood. Top quality veneers also are carefully matched to achieve uniform colour and grain-pattern matching,” adds the spokesperson.
UWP’s extensive product profile includes:
• Fire-rated wooden doors that are certified in accordance to British Standard fire test criteria for door sets for 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes fire resistance; Underwriters Laboratories for door leaves only, for 20, 45, 60 and 90 minutes and the UK-based Halspan's door sets for 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes;
• A wide variety of wooden doors for hospitals and medical facilities with flush door designs and finishes featuring glass vision panels, louvres, stainless steel and decorative veneer strip inlays, grooves, applied mouldings, among others. These doors are available in plastic laminate, veneer and painted finishes;
• Special lead-lined wooden doors that are designed for use in X-ray rooms of hospitals and other medical facilities. Here, the lead-lined sheets are embedded in the door and frame to block the electromagnetic radiation and avoid a possible leakage out of the room.
The company also manufactures door components such as stiles, rails and panels made from kiln-dried solid hardwood.
It has sales offices located in Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah.
UWP has carried out a number of projects that include the King Fahad Hospital, Saudi Strategic Storage Programme headquarters building, Arqah Compound, King Abdulaziz Library, National Historical Center, the Chinese, Indian and Nigerian embassies in Riyadh, Gosi housing compounds in Riyadh, Abha and Yanbu and the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah; and Citibank in Bahrain, among other projects.