GCC States Economy & Development

[Bubblegum Crisis]

Jaguar C-X75 Electric-Turbine Concept

Massive 'Mining City of the North' planned for KSA

by CW Staff on Feb 21, 2012

Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers has agreed to build a new industrial city on the Northern Border Province centred around the Kingdom’s mining industry.

‘The Mining City of the North’ will cover 290km2 and will have industrial and utilities infrastructure design to attract investors in downstream industries, said Minister of Culture and Information Abdul Aziz Khoja.

An additional 150km2 adjoining the proposed industrial city in the Um Waal area has been allocated to set up projects of the state-run Saudi Arabian Mining Co’s (Ma’aden) phosphate industries.

‘The Mining City of the North’ is designed to work in close co-operation with Ras Al-Khair, a port and town currently under development 60km north of Jubail on Saudi’s east coast. Ras Al-Khair is also known as ‘Minerals Industrial City’.

Several major industrial plants are under construction in Ras Al-Khair at present, including a di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) plant, an aluminium smelter, an alumina refinery, ammonium plant and facilities to produce phosphoric and sulphuric acid. A new 2,350MW power and desalination plant is also under construction.

The new Mining City of the North will be linked to the new North-South Railway line that extends from the Jordanian border to Riyadh. The rail link will be designed for both passengers and industrial freight wagons, and will also provide links with Ras Al-Khair, which has freight links to the bauxite mines at Zabirah. Bauxite is a key component in the production of aluminium.

The project has also pushed through plans for three new wharfs at the Ras Al-Khair Industrial Port in the Eastern Province.


Construction Week Online

Ras Al-Khair Power and Desalination Facility

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

Alcoa and Ma’aden Break Ground for Middle East’s First Automotive Products Aluminum Rolling Mill

Published: Wednesday, 12 Dec 2012 | 5:38 AM ET

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Alcoa (NYSE:AA) and The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) today broke ground for construction of expanded rolling mill capabilities at their combined aluminum complex in Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia. The expanded capabilities will enable the facility to supply aluminum automotive, building and construction sheet and foil stock to the Kingdom’s developing new industry and other global markets beginning in 2014, positioning the project to capture growing demand for aluminum from the automotive, building and construction sectors.

Ma’aden President and CEO Engineer Khalid Al Mudaifer said the new sheet products integrated rolling and surface treatment complex is an exciting step for Saudi Arabia as it enters the global aluminum industry and demonstrates the power of the partnership created by Ma’aden and Alcoa.

“As we break ground today, we do so knowing that our joint venture with Alcoa has a vote of confidence from one of the most prestigious manufacturers in the global automotive industry. From this foundation we will see the growth of an industry that will create opportunities for career development and downstream business growth for Saudi Arabian citizens for many generations to come,” Engr Mudaifer said.

Alcoa Chairman and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld said that the addition of the new automotive sheet products capabilities was a natural extension of the government’s vision to develop world-class downstream manufacturing enterprises in Saudi Arabia, and further leveraged Alcoa’s expertise in the market.

“Today we are seeing the tremendous potential of the Ma’aden-Alcoa joint venture become reality. Alcoa has been bringing innovative solutions to the automotive industry for 100 years and together with Ma’aden, we are now positioned at a new intersection of commerce in the Middle East to capture profitable growth. Every individual who has played a role in achieving this historic milestone today should feel proud of their contributions, and I thank them,” Kleinfeld said.

Editor's Note: Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) issued a press release yesterday announcing it has signed a letter of intent to explore the possibility of setting up an automotive facility in Saudi Arabia. Although discussions between JLR and the Saudi Government are at a preliminary stage, opportunities have been identified in aluminum component production, an area where JLR has a leadership position.


About the Ma’aden Alcoa joint venture

In its initial phases, the joint venture will develop a fully integrated industrial complex which will become the world's preeminent and lowest-cost producer of primary aluminum, alumina and aluminum products, with access to the growing markets of the Middle East and beyond. The complex comprises:

- A bauxite mine with an initial capacity of 4,000,000 metric tons per year

- An alumina refinery with an initial capacity of 1,800,000 metric tons per year

- An aluminum smelter with an initial capacity of 740,000 metric tons per year

- A rolling mill that will be the first in the Middle East capable of producing food grade can sheet, as well as sheet for automotive, building and construction applications. Upon completion, the mill will be one of the most technically-advanced mills in the world.


About Alcoa

Alcoa is the world’s leading producer of primary and fabricated aluminum, as well as the world’s largest miner of bauxite and refiner of alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day aluminum industry, Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation, consumer electronics and industrial markets over the past 120 years. Among the solutions Alcoa markets are flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, as well as Alcoa® wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building systems in addition to its expertise in other light metals such as titanium and nickel-based super alloys. Sustainability is an integral part of Alcoa’s operating practices and the product design and engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa has been a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 11 consecutive years and approximately 75 percent of all of the aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in active use today. Alcoa employs approximately 61,000 people in 31 countries across the world.


CNBC

 

[al-Hasani]

You are doing a wonderful job 7abibi. Keep it coming!

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

- Reedition

Jazan Economic City (JEC)

English

Arabic

KAEC (King Abdullah Economic City)

See also old link :

http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-photos-multimedia/172917-ksa-kingdom-make-cars-gulf-n-africa.html

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

UAE : Traditions are changing. We are going from sand to silicon. (reedition)


“Traditions are changing. We are going from sand to silicon”.
Mrs. Raja al-Gurg




Come with me. ^^

Flashback…


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Microprocesseurs : l'émirat d'Abou Dhabi prend 8,1% du capital d'AMD

Les échos - Le 16 novembre 2007

L'émirat a déboursé 608 millions de dollars pour entrer au capital du deuxième fabricant américain de microprocesseurs.

L'émirat d'Abou Dhabi a pris une participation de 8,1% dans AMD (Advanced Micro Devices), le deuxième fabricant américain de microprocesseurs, lui apportant ainsi 608 millions de dollars, a annoncé le groupe vendredi dans un communiqué. L'investissement a été effectué à travers Mubadala Development, un fonds à capitaux public, qui a acquis 49 millions d'actions nouvellement émises pour 12,70 dollars, pour un total de 622 millions. Après remboursements de frais à Mubadala d'environ 14,6 millions, AMD a reçu 608 millions.

Le groupe a indiqué qu'il utiliserait ces fonds notamment pour la recherche et l'innovation.

Laminé par la concurrence du numéro un mondial Intel, AMD a aligné quatre trimestres consécutifs de pertes. Fin septembre, le groupe avait environ 5,3 milliards de dollars de dettes. Sur la base du cours de clôture de l'action AMD jeudi, le groupe vaut un peu plus de 7 milliards de dollars en Bourse.

La prise de participation de l'émirat devrait relancer le débat sur les fonds souverains, accusés dans certains milieux de fausser le jeu du marché du fait de leurs actionnariats gouvernementaux et de leurs énormes moyens financiers. Mercredi, le Trésor américain avait de nouveau demandé au Fonds monétaire international et à la Banque mondiale de rédiger un code de bonne conduite pour les fonds souverains, pour garantir que leurs investissements soient effectués pour des raisons économiques et non politiques.

Les riches émirats pétroliers, dont les fonds se sont gonflés à des niveaux records avec la hausse du pétrole, multiplient les investissements dans les groupes occidentaux depuis un an, y compris les plus grandes Bourses mondiales. Dernière opération en date, fin septembre le fonds d'investissement d'Abou Dhabi a pris 7,5% du fonds américain Carlyle pour 1,35 milliard de dollars, et investi 500 millions dans un fonds détenu par Carlyle. Carlyle, l'un des plus gros fonds américains, a été touché par la crise des "subprimes" et cherchait des liquidités.


(source AFP)

AMD vend ses usines à Abu Dhabi pour éviter la faillite

Jean-Baptiste Su, dans la la Silicon Valley - 07/10/2008 - 16:34 - L'Expansion

Le rival d'Intel adopte le modèle sans usine et reçoit une infusion de plus de 2 milliards de dollars.

C'était l'opération de la dernière chance pour le principal concurrent d'Intel. Accablé par plus de 5 milliards de dollars de dettes, AMD n'avait pas d'autre choix que de vendre ses usines de fabrication de puces et d’ouvrir son capital à deux fonds d'investissement d'Abu Dhabi.

Les usines allemandes de Dresde et une future usine prévue au nord de New York seront désormais regroupées au sein d'une nouvelle entité, The Foundry Company, qui sera détenue à 44,4% par AMD, afin d’y produire les puces du n°2 mondial des microprocesseurs pour PC. La majorité étant contrôlée par ATIC, un fond d’investissement d’Abu Dhabi spécialisé dans les nouvelles technologies.

Parallèlement, un autre fonds d'Abou Dhabi, Mubadala, va accroître sa participation existante de 8,1% au capital d'AMD à 19,3%.

Cette opération complexe permet à l'entreprise de la Silicon Valley de lever près d'un milliard de dollars et de se décharger de 1,2 milliard de dettes sur la nouvelle entité. Plus important encore, AMD se débarrasse d'une activité extrêmement coûteuse.

"AMD allait droit à la faillite"

« Une nouvelle usine de pointe requiert de lourds investissements, environ 2 milliards de dollars, et doit être remise à niveau presque tous les deux à trois ans. Sans cet accord, AMD allait droit à la faillite dans les deux ans », estime l'analyste Rob Enderle.

Intel est aujourd'hui la seule entreprise de semiconducteurs qui peut se permettre d'avoir ses propres usines de pointe. Texas Instruments a decidé d'arrêter d'investir dans la mise à niveau de ses usines, tandis que celles d'IBM produisent des puces d'autres fabricants.

AMD adopte ainsi le modèle « sans usine » (fabless en anglais) qui a fait le succès d'entreprises comme ARM, qui conçoit des puces pour téléphones mobiles comme l'iPhone, ou des spécialistes des puces graphiques : ATI (racheté par d'AMD) et Nvidia.

Le modèle fabless abaissera de manière significative la barre de rentabilité de l'entreprise, avec un fonctionnement rappelant plus celui d’un éditeur de logiciel que celui d’un fabricant. En revanche, cela oblige le concepteur de puces à travailler étroitement avec le ou les fondeurs pour éviter les récents déboires de qualité qu'a connu Nvidia par exemple.

« AMD aura la priorité avec The Foundry Company qui connaît de surcroît parfaitement le processus de fabrication des puces AMD », ajoute Rob Enderle. Le nouveau fondeur récupère 3000 salariés et des droits de propriété intellectuelle.

Son Pdg, Doug Grose, sera l'actuel responsable des sites de fabrication d'AMD, tandis qu'Hector Ruiz en présidera le conseil d’administration (chairman). Il quittera donc le poste équivalent qu’il occupe au sein d'AMD.

Factory Dresden in Germany

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

Advanced Micro Devices

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. or AMD is an American multinational semiconductor company based in Sunnyvale, California, that develops computer processors and related technologies for commercial and consumer markets. Its main products include microprocessors, motherboard chipsets, embedded processors and graphics processors for servers, workstations and personal computers, and embedded systems applications.

AMD is the second-largest global supplier of microprocessors based on the x86 architecture (behind Intel) and also one of the largest suppliers of graphics processing units. It also owns 8.6% of Spansion, a supplier of non-volatile flash memory.

AMD is the only significant rival to Intel in the central processor (CPU) market for (x86 based) personal computers. Together they held 99.1 percent (Intel 80.3%, AMD 18.8%) of the CPUs sold for quarter three of 2011. Since acquiring ATI in 2006, AMD and its competitor Nvidia have dominated the discrete graphics processor unit (GPU) market, together making up virtually 100% of the market.


AMD Markham in Canada




Shares

Public float (no seat to ‘board of directors&#8217 : 59,7 %

Mubadala Development Company (blocking minority to ‘board of directors&#8217 : 19,4 % stake

Oppenheimer Funds : 11,9 %

The Vanguard Group : 3,9 %

Barclays Global Investors : 3,2 %

State Street Global Advisors : 3,0 %

Fidelity Investments : 2,3 %



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AMD devient un fondeur sans usines

Le fondeur se scinde en deux entités. Il cède en partie ses unités de production à la Foundry Company, financée par des fonds en provenance d’Abu Dhabi.

Alexis Grondin le 07/10/2008 à 18h15

Une page se tourne pour le challenger d'Intel. AMD ne va pas arrêter de fabriquer ses puces… mais presque. Advanced Micro Devices a en effet annoncé la fondation d'une nouvelle entreprise, dont le nom temporaire est Foundry Company. Cette entreprise regroupera les unités de production d'AMD, que celui-ci a en partie vendues.

Quel impact sur le consommateur final ? Négligeable. Qu'il soit une entreprise ou un particulier ! Le prix des processeurs AMD ne devrait pas bouger de manière significative. Cette scission d'AMD en deux entités distinctes n'est en fait qu'une opération financière, visant à alléger le fondeur des coûts de production. Les économies réalisées seront destinées à revivifier les comptes d'AMD et à alimenter la R & D avec de l'argent frais.

Cette annonce n'est pas une surprise dans le contexte de morosité des semi-conducteurs, où tous les acteurs mis à part Intel et Samsung sont obligés de se séparer de leurs unités de production devant les coûts qu'elles engendrent.

700 millions de dollars dans les caisses d'AMD

Dédiée à la production de technologies semi-conducteurs, la nouvelle enseigne est financée par Advanced Technology Investment Company (Atic), bailleur créé par le gouvernement d'Abu Dhabi. Atic a injecté 2,1 milliards de dollars dans le nouveau projet. AMD participe à la création de la nouvelle entité en cédant ses usines de Dresde, en Allemagne. Ainsi, sur ces 2,1 milliards dépensés, 1,4 serviront d'investissement au développement de la nouvelle compagnie, les 700 millions restant seront versés directement à AMD.

Atic possédera 55,6 % des parts de Foundry Company, AMD 44,4 %, les deux étant seuls actionnaires de l'entreprise et possédant le même nombre de voix au conseil d'administration. Atic s'engage à investir de 3,6 à 6 milliards de dollars dans les cinq prochaines années pour le développement de la nouvelle entreprise. Ces fonds serviront à agrandir et à moderniser les locaux de Dresde et à construire une nouvelle unité. Installée dans le comté de Saratoga, dans l'Etat de New York, sa construction débutera à partir du deuxième semestre de 2009.

3 000 employés, membre de l'alliance IBM

L'entreprise comptera au départ 3 000 employés. En outre, la Foundry Company joindra l'alliance IBM, regroupant des fondeurs autour de la recherche sur la conception de silicium sur isolants (SOI) et de la technologie de gravure en 22 nanomètres.

De son côté, AMD voit une autre société d'Abu Dhabi, Mubadala Development Company, accroître son investissement pour posséder 19,3 % des parts de l'américain, sa participation étant auparavant située à 8,1 %. Qui plus est, Hector Ruiz, jusqu'ici président d'AMD, prend la direction de la nouvelle entreprise. Son successeur n'est pas encore connu.

Bruce Claflin nommé président du conseil d'administration d’AMD

02 Mars, 2009 08:32 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Waleed Al Mokarrab, directeur de l’exploitation de Mubadala Development Company, a été nommé au conseil d'administration d’AMD

SUNNYVALE, Californie - (BUSINESS WIRE) - AMD (NYSE : AMD) a annoncé aujourd'hui que Bruce Claflin avait été nommé président de son conseil d'administration. M. Claflin remplace Hector Ruiz, qui a quitté le conseil d'administration d’AMD pour assumer le poste de président du conseil d'administration de « The Foundry Company ». M. Claflin est membre du conseil d'administration d’AMD depuis août 2003.

« Nous sommes également honorés d’accueillir Waleed Al Mokarrab au sein de notre conseil d'administration. Son expérience en développement commercial à travers un vaste éventail de secteurs va constituer un atout considérable pour AMD. »

Le conseil d'administration d’AMD a également nommé Waleed Al Mokarrab au conseil d'administration. M. Al Mokarrab est directeur de l'exploitation de Mubadala Development Company.

« Bruce Claflin apporte une grande expérience commerciale directement applicable aux défis et aux opportunités qui se présentent à notre société », a déclaré Dirk Meyer, président-directeur général d’AMD. « Nous sommes également honorés d’accueillir Waleed Al Mokarrab au sein de notre conseil d'administration. Son expérience en développement commercial à travers un vaste éventail de secteurs va constituer un atout considérable pour AMD. »

M. Meyer continue dans son rôle de président-directeur général, et celui de membre du conseil d'administration d’AMD.

M. Claflin revendique 33 ans d’expérience à des postes de cadre supérieur chez IBM, Digital Equipment et plus récemment en tant que président-directeur général et membre du conseil d'administration de 3Com Corporation, un prestataire de produits et de services de réseau voix et données. Il a dirigé des entreprises d’ordinateurs personnels de premier plan et revendique une expérience internationale extensive qui inclut la fondation et la gestion de joint-ventures internationales. M. Claflin a quitté 3Com Corporation en 2006. M. Claflin est également membre du conseil d'administration de Ciena Corporation.

Waleed Al Mokarrab est directeur de l'exploitation de Mubadala. Ses responsabilités principales consistent à encadrer les activités de développement commercial et opérationnel de Mubadala. Ces activités incluent les acquisitions internationales et le développement commercial de Mubadala à travers un vaste éventail de secteurs tels que les soins de santé, l’éducation, l’énergie, l’infrastructure, l’aérospatiale, l’immobilier et la technologie. Avant de rejoindre Mubadala, M. Al Mokarrab était chef de projets principal pour l’UAE Offsets Group. Il apporte une expérience approfondie acquise chez McKinsey & Company, où il a collaboré en tant que consultant, conseillant sur une gamme de projets industriels et gouvernementaux.

Mubadala raises AMD stake

posted on 04/03/2009

Mubadala Development has finalised a deal with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to take control of its semiconductor manufacturing operations and raise the state-owned firm's stake in the company.

Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC), a unit of Mubadala, is now a 66 per cent owner of The Foundry Company, which manufactures microchips for AMD.

Mubadala also raised its stake substantially with an investment of US $ 125 million (Dh 459.1 m) in AMD, which has been hard hit by the drop in demand for computers. AMD's stock price has dropped 71 per cent since June.

« The business case has not changed. This is a long-term investment in a cyclical industry », said Waleed al Muhairi, the chief operating officer at Mubadala who was also named to the AMD board.

The Foundry Company's board will be chaired by Hector Ruiz, AMD's former chairman. The Foundry Company is only a temporary name and the company is expected to launch with a new name and visual identity later this week.

« AMD and its committed partners have conceived two strong industry-leading companies capable of charting future courses that will dramatically improve the technology industry », said Dirk Meyer, the chief executive of AMD.

Under the deal, ATIC paid US $ 2.1 billion for a 65.8 per cent stake of The Foundry Company. Of that investment, US $ 700 m went directly to AMD, which will hold the remaining stake.

AMD is seeking to narrow the company's focus and cut costs in the face of fierce competition from the market leader, Intel. For Mubadala, the deal represents an opportunity to develop one it its core business segments under the Government's plan to diversify the emirate's economy away from oil.
Mubadala's investments are typically strategic and the company hopes to use its interest in The Foundry Company to bring microchip manufacturing facilities which are among the world's most advanced industrial infrastructure to Abu Dhabi.

This means that paper losses on its original AMD investment standing now at more than US $ 500 m are unlikely to be realised, with Mubadala looking to hold its shares in the US company through the global economic crisis.

Like most major US companies, AMD's stock price has been in dramatic decline. A worldwide economic slowdown is expected to stunt the growth in demand for new personal computers containing the company's chips; some analysts believe overall demand could drop.

AMD produces central processing units (CPUs) and video cards for use in personal computers and corporate servers. The Foundry Company, which will acquire all of AMD's manufacturing assets, will expand its capacity to become a contract manufacturer for other companies, such as makers of consumer electronics and mobile phones.

ATIC said it would invest up to US $ 6 bn to expand and diversify the capacity of the new company.

At the same time as the manufacturing tie-up, Mubadala boosted its 8.1 per cent holding in AMD acquired for US $ 622 m last year to over 16 per cent. Mubadala has an option to raise it further to 19.6 per cent.

The price of the new shares and warrants was negotiated down to US $ 125 m in December after AMD's stock price fell. Mr. al Muhairi said the price used for the latest transaction was based on a complex formula, but would be close to AMD's Monday close at US $ 2.01 per share.

AMD, a distant runner-up to Intel in the microprocessor business, won approval from shareholders last month to spin off its two chip-making plants as it faced its fourth annual loss this year.

In January, the company reported a US $ 1.42 bn fourth-quarter loss, hurt by a rapidly deteriorating environment for computer sales as well as big write-offs.

Mr. al Muhairi was upbeat about the long-term prospects. "Now is a down point in the cycle, he said. "That is when you invest in capacity, so when the market picks up you can start producing. The trajectory of the semiconductor business is going up.

Microprocessor 32 nm

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

How is produced a Microprocessor ?

Explain a much simpler way ?

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Après GlobalFoundries (ex-AMD), ATIC va racheter Chartered Semiconductors

Le 07 septembre 2009 (12:39) - par Christophe Bardy

Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC), le fonds souverain de l'Etat d'Abu Dhabi (Emirats Arabes Unis), va racheter Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, l'un des grands fondeurs mondiaux pour environ 1,8 Md $ (3,9 Md $ si l'on inclut la reprise des dettes et le rachat des actions préférentielles). ATIC s'est déjà illustré l'an passé en rachetant à AMD ses usines de fabrication de processeurs, une opération qui a donné naissance à GlobalFoundries.

GlobalFoundries dispose de capacités de productions avancées à Dresde en Allemagne où AMD avait implanté ses deux usines (Fab).

La firme a aussi engagé près de 4 Md $ d'investissements dans la construction d'une nouvelle Fab dans l'Etat de New-York.

Le rachat de Chartered vient compléter le portefeuille d'ATIC et devrait lui permettre de mieux affronter la concurrence de ses grands concurrents taiwanais, TSMC et UMC. Tout d'abord, Chartered dispose d'une fab moderne à Singapour (Fab 7) capable de produire des puces en 32 et 45 nm (la firme s'appuie pour cela, comme GlobalFoundries, sur son alliance avec IBM pour la conception de circuits intégrés gravés dans des technologies allant de 45 nm à 22 nm). Chartered dispose aussi de quatre autres usines plus anciennes qui fournissent des services de gravures en technologie 110 nm à 350 nm. Plus des deux tiers des composants fabriqués par Chartered sont ainsi fabriqués dans des gravures supérieures à 65 nm. Le 65 nm représente 29% des revenus et seulement 2% du CA est dérivé de puces en 45 nm et en-deçà. Surtout, le fondeur dispose d'une solide base de clients (ce que GlobalFoundries n'a pas) avec des grands noms des semi-conducteurs tels qu'Agere (ex-Lucent Micro-electronics) ou Agilent (ex division microélectronique d'HP). Il est à noter pour mémoire qu'AMD avait annoncé en 2006 un partenariat avec Chartered pour la production de puces x86 en technologie 65 nm.

Selon ATIC, Chartered et GlobalFoundries devraient intensifier leurs collaborations au cours des prochains mois, ce qui ne veut pas dire fusion des deux entités. GlobalFoundries a en effet hérité de la licence x86 accordée par Intel à AMD mais à condition que ce dernier conserve le contrôle effectif de la société (ce qu'il fait au travers d'actions préférentielles).

Après les usines d'AMD, Abu Dhabi rachète Chartered

Publiée par Alexandre Laurent le Lundi 7 Septembre 2009

La société d'investissement Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC), détenue à 100% par le gouvernement d'Abu Dhabi, vient d'annoncer son intention de racheter le singapourien Chartered Semiconductor, qui compte parmi les cinq principaux fondeurs au monde. C'est ce fonds qui détient depuis le mois de mars les usines d'AMD au travers de la coentreprise GlobalFoundries. ATIC propose de racheter Chartered 1,8 milliard de dollars US en numéraire. Le projet doit être finalisé au quatrième trimestre 2009, une fois obtenu l'aval des régulateurs.

Si l'opération se concrétise, GlobalFoundries et Chartered devraient rester deux entités distinctes, qui mettront toutefois en commun certaines de leurs ressources. D'un côté, le capital représenté par les ex-usines d'AMD, en Allemagne et aux Etats-Unis, sans compter la nouvelle Fab ultramoderne que développe GlobalFoundries dans l'état de New York. De l'autre, un acteur historique du marché des semiconducteurs, habitué à travailler avec le plus grand nombre (c'est par exemple Chartered qui produit aujourd'hui les puces qui équipent la Xbox 360 de Microsoft) et doté de nombreuses unités de production, plus flexibles que celles dont dispose GlobalFoundries.

« Nous voulons être capables de produire des processeurs hauts de gamme tels qu'Istanbul, mais nous devons également être en mesure de livrer des puces moins complexes, afin de couvrir le marché le plus large possible : graphique, réseau ou sans fil, etc. », nous expliquait à l'occasion du Computex Tom Sonderman, vice président « Manufacturing Systems and Technology » de Globalfoundries. Chartered pourrait bien offrir à ATIC et à ses fondeurs cette polyvalence, pour ainsi rivaliser toujours mieux avec des acteurs comme TSMC ou UMD, sans parler du numéro du secteur, Intel.

Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing



Chartered Semiconductor was created in 1987 as a venture that included Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd. Yet, it was not until 2000 that ST Engineering (Singapore Technologies Semiconductors), a wholly owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings wholly acquired Chartered.

Prior to 2010, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing (abbreviated CSM) was the world's third largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry, with its headquarters and main operations located in the Woodlands Industrial Park, Kranji Singapore. The company was listed on the Singapore Exchange under the trading symbol of CHARTERED, as well as on NASDAQ (CHRT), until its buyout.

Chartered provides comprehensive wafer fabrication services and technologies to semiconductor suppliers and systems companies. Chartered's customer base is primarily high-growth, technologically advanced companies operating in the communication, computer and consumer sectors. It does not provide design services and works from customers' designs to produce communications chips.

Besides its own fabs, Chartered operates joint venture facilities with other firms, it offers chip assembly and test services through sister firm STATS ChipPAC. Chartered owns 6 fabrication facilities, all of which are located in Singapore, including the newest, Chartered's first 300-mm facility which started commercial shipment in June 2005.

The other major semiconductor foundries include TSMC and UMC, Taiwanese-based companies, which are primarily Chartered's main competitors.

In 2006 AMD announced that it will manufacture CPUs with Chartered on a 65 nanometer process. It also has alliances with IBM, Infineon, Samsung and Agere Systems.

GLOBALFOUNDRIES Finalizes Integration, Emerges as World's First Truly Global Foundry

GLOBALFOUNDRIES and Chartered combine under one brand to compete for market leadership as a full-service foundry company

Sunnyvale, Calif. - January 13, 2010 - GLOBALFOUNDRIES today announced it has officially integrated operations with Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing started functioning as one company under the GLOBALFOUNDRIES brand. The announcement marks the emergence of the new GLOBALFOUNDRIES-the world's first full-service semiconductor foundry with a truly global manufacturing and technology footprint across Asia, Europe and the United States.

"As the world's leading chip design companies face increasing pressure to push the boundaries of innovation, they need a full-service foundry partner with the ability to invest and sustain an aggressive leading-edge technology roadmap while offering a full breadth of services," said Doug Grose, chief executive officer of GLOBALFOUNDRIES. "Thanks to the vision of our investors and months of dedicated work by teams across the globe, we have now created a new global company that leads the foundry market in advanced technology with unparalleled proximity to our customers and access to the world's best talent."

The combined company employs approximately 10,000 people around the world, anchored by headquarters in Silicon Valley and advanced manufacturing operations in Singapore; Dresden, Germany; and a new leading-edge fab under construction in Saratoga County, New York. These sites are supported by a global network of R & D, design enablement, and customer support in Singapore, China, Taiwan, Japan, the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

The new GLOBALFOUNDRIES immediately takes its position as one of the top semiconductor foundries in the world, with 2009 revenues to date for GLOBALFOUNDRIES and Chartered in excess of $ 2 billion. GLOBALFOUNDRIES launches with more than 150 customers across the semiconductor ecosystem, with plans to deepen existing relationships and to aggressively pursue new customers. Current customers include many of the world's top fabless and fab-lite companies, such as AMD, Qualcomm, STMicro and IBM.

"The entire premise of the foundry business is changing," said Dan Hutcheson, CEO of VLSI Research. "Foundry customers have made it clear that they are looking for deep collaboration with their foundry partners as opposed to a contract manufacturing service. With its history as part of a top Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM) operating at the leading edge of technology, GLOBALFOUNDRIES is well positioned to drive fundamental transformation in the foundry business model."

GLOBALFOUNDRIES currently has five 200 mm fabs and one 300 mm fab in Singapore, as well as one leading-edge 300 mm fab complex in Dresden, Germany. To meet the demands of a growing customer base, the company has an aggressive capacity build-out plan, including expansion of Fab 1 in Dresden and Fab 7 in Singapore, as well as construction of a new leading-edge 300 mm facility in Saratoga County, New York. The New York facility, which will be renamed as Fab 8, is on track to begin ramping initial production in 2012.

With these plans in place, global leading-edge capacity is expected to expand to 1.6 million 300 mm wafers annually by 2014. This will be supplemented by 2.2 million 200 mm wafers annually, offering customers the full spectrum of foundry technology from mainstream to the leading edge, for a total of 5.8 million 200mm equivalents.

"Until now, the world's largest fabless, fablite and integrated manufacturers have had no real alternative for an end-to-end manufacturing partner," said Chia Song Hwee, chief operating officer of GLOBALFOUNDRIES. "This new company has an incredible opportunity in front of us to not just offer an alternative, but become the preferred supplier for many of the world's top chip design companies. With advanced technology leadership, an aggressive capacity roadmap and a robust set of mainstream technologies and foundry services we are well equipped to compete and win against any other foundry in the industry."

The new GLOBALFOUNDRIES brings a broad array of leading edge technology capabilities and services to market. The company is the foundry industry leader in time-to-volume on 40/45 nm technology and expects to repeat this accomplishment with 32 nm and "Gate First" High-K Metal Gate technology. The company embraces a collaborative R & D approach that also extends to packaging, IP solutions, and design enablement, built on what the company calls its "Virtual IDM" approach.

Douglas Grose (CEO of Global Foundries) and Ibrahim Ajami (CEO of ATIC) presented no later than 28 nm 300 mm disc Global Foundries.

ATIC eyes full Globalfoundaries ownership

by Reuters Wednesday, 20 January 2010

Abu Dhabi's ATIC has filed an application with Germany's cartel office to take over Globalfoundries, a contract chipmaking venture it established with Advanced Micro Devices last year.

The Advanced Technology Investment Co (ATIC) filed the application on Jan 12 according to the cartel office website.

ATIC said: "This action is simply consistent with the long announced plan for AMD to gradually become fab less, which was one of the key strategies behind the creation of Globalfoundries."

"Fab less" is the industry term used when semiconductor makers design their own products but outsource their manufacture.
AMD spun off its semiconductor manufacturing arm into the joint venture GlobalFoundries, which started operations in March 2009 and has a plant in Dresden, in eastern Germany, as well as Saratoga, New York.

Chief Executive Doug Grose told Reuters last week that AMD will reduce its stake in the company over time and continue to focus on chip design.

ATIC invested $2.1 billion for a 65.8 percent stake of the venture. Of that, $700 million went directly to AMD, which holds the remaining stake.

AMD is due to report on its fourth quarter earnings on Jan 21.


Reuters

Global Foundries announces ambitious expansion plans

Published on 2nd June 2010 by Richard Swinburne

COMPUTEX 2010 Global Foundries, the manufacturing company formed when AMD decided to become purely a chip design outfit, this morning announced an ambitious program of upgrades to its factories.

It will increase both the scale and complexity of its fabrication plants (fabs for short), meaning companies which don't own their own plants - increasingly common in the high-tech world - have access to better and better manufacturing processes for their wares.

With a current global capacity of 110,000 300 mm wafers per month split between Fab 1 in Germany and Fab 7 in Singapore, the addition of the new Fab 8 in New York will bring an extra 42,000 wafers when it’s finished in 2012. This will further increase with the construction of an additional cleanroom Fab 1 Germany making it the largest in Europe – something Global Foundries classes as its ‘Gigalab’. The extra 110,000 sq foot of space in clean room adds 25 per cent capacity, increasing output from 60,000 to 80,000 wafers a month by mid-2011. The Dresden lab is still focused on 40 and 45 nm process manufacturing, moving to 28 nm by next year. The advantage of extra production volume means that Global Foundaries can learn faster to improve yields.

Despite the fact it’s not even finished yet, expansion of Fab 8 in New York will also take place in “phase 2” of its construction, adding 40% more cleanroom space and focusing on 28 nm production, before moving to 22/20 nm and below, ultimately increasing production output to 60,000 wafers a month by 2013.

At its Computex press conference, Global Foundries stated that its new High-k metal gate techniques on 32 nm and 28 nm are in the early introduction phase, but this process was also “design compatible” with 45/40 nm production and accounts for a 10-15 per cent die size reduction and transistor performance equal to Intel (although it's arguably coming two years behind Intel).

Global Foundries continues to use volume immersion lithography and double patterning with 32 nm and will move to Extreme Ultra Violet (EUV) in 2011 with mask and resist technique.

From left to right : Waleed Al Mokarrab (Mubadala Development Company), Doug Grose, Hector Ruiz, Dirk Meyer, Khaldoon Al Mubarak (Mubadala Development Company).

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

Enter in a microchip manufacturing plant

NEXT GENERATION OF EMIRATI ENGINEERS SHOWCASE TALENTS AT At NOKHBA GRADUATION CEREMONY IN GERMANY

60 elite Emirati students successfully complete internship at GLOBALFOUNDRIES in Dresden, Germany

Abu Dhabi, 8 August 2010: The Al Nokhba internship at GLOBALFOUNDRIES has drawn to a close in Dresden, Germany with a graduation ceremony to mark the achievements of the 60 interns who participated in the program. During the ceremony interns were praised for their continued dedication and achievement and presented their project work to assembled dignitaries, student mentors and peers. The
collaborative Al Nokhba internship developed in partnership between Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), The Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) and GLOBALFOUNDRIES, aims to give the next generation of Emirati engineers hands-on work experience in the field of microelectronics.

Over the course of the last seven weeks, the 30 men and 30 women, all Emirati science and engineering undergraduates, have worked alongside some of the world’s leading advanced technology experts at the GLOBALFOUNDRIES FAB in Dresden, overseeing the manufacture of the 300mm wafer semiconductors that form the basis of modern electronic and electrical equipment. Students have participated in a full program of lectures and seminars, alongside handson experience in the clean rooms and labs, culminating in the final projects presented at the graduation ceremony.

Director General of ADEC H.E. Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili said: “We are proud of our students for their dedication to this program, and thank our partners for investing their time and resources to support the academic and career development of young nationals. Partnering with industries to promote hands-on learning and practical experience is an essential component of Abu Dhabi’s Higher Education Strategy to develop our students’ skill set and knowledge so they can compete in a global workforce, and contribute to the creation of an innovation-based, knowledgeproducing society in Abu Dhabi. We look forward to continue to working with ATIC and GLOBALFOUNDRIES to cultivate a passion for technological development and innovation in our students.”

Ibrahim Ajami, CEO of ATIC said: “Collaborative opportunities such as the Al Nokhba Internship at GLOBALFOUNDRIES are at the very heart of ATIC’s work in the area of human capital development. We are committed to providing new opportunities aimed at inspiring and engaging the next generation of Emirati talent that will drive the development of Abu Dhabi as a hub for leading-edge semiconductor and the advanced technology sector and in so doing fuel the delivery of the future vision of Abu Dhabi. The successful graduation of the interns today is testament to their continued hard work, commitment and development as the engineering minds of the future.”

"I'm very pleased with the tremendous experience, the 60 students had in the second Abu Dhabi summer internship program in Dresden," said Doug Grose, CEO, GLOBALOUNDRIES. "This internship is part of a comprehensive program which will help to develop top talent in support a future semiconductor eco-system in Abu Dhabi. Through providing access to GLOBALFOUNDRIES FAB 1, Europe's most advanced wafer FAB, combined with the educational and industry resources of Silicon Saxony, we have provided participants with a thorough overview of what it means to participate and compete in our global industry."

Present at the graduation ceremony event were representatives from both the United Arab Emirates and Germany, including Dr. Johannes Beermann, Chief of the State Chancellery and Minister of State for Federal Affairs, Saxony and Ms Nabila Al Shamsi, Second Secretary at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, Germany. Also in attendance were Ms Susanne Jokisch, representing the Cultural Affairs office of the German Embassy to the United Arab Emirates and HE Mohammad Salam Al Dhaheri, Executive Director of School Operations Sector at ADEC, Mrs. Mona Majed Al Mansouri, Division Manager of Guidance and Scholarship at ADEC, Professors Melhorn, Bartha and Kucher, senior faculty members from the Technical University of Dresden, Germany alongside representatives from the local R&D community.

The Al Nokhba internship builds on ATIC’s central aim of promoting Abu Dhabi’s strategic development of, and investment in, advanced technologies and semiconductors by supporting the development of human capital that will drive the future of the industry and provide UAE nationals with world-class learning opportunities. Collaboration between ATIC and GLOBALFOUNDRIES alongside the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), is aligned with the commitment of the Higher Education Strategy to support the development of a workforce equipped with the skills and knowledge for success. In its next round, the Al Nokhba internship will be expanded to offer interns the opportunity to work at the GLOBALFOUNDRIES FAB in Singapore.

Globalfoundries

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

Abu Dhabi students on course for world’s elite David George-Cosh

- Last Updated: July 20. 2010 8:46PM UAE / July 20. 2010 4:46PM GMT

DRESDEN : When Mohammed al Merri found out he had been accepted to study at Globalfoundries, he was proud to become part of “The Elite”. The recent electrical engineering graduate from Abu Dhabi’s Higher College of Technology had long dreamt of pursuing a career in technology. Now, with Abu Dhabi investing heavily in the semiconductor industry, the young Emirati has earned the opportunity of a lifetime – to become part of “Al Nokhba”, which is Arabic for “The Elite”.

The programme, run at the Globalfoundries campus in Dresden, gives the students a crash course in the elemental physics behind semiconductors and the theory of designing microchips plus the chance to follow assigned mentors to perform tasks in the foundry’s clean room. “For me, I’m studying something that is very futuristic,” said Mr al Merri. “It’s a very amazing experience.” He is one of 60 students – half of whom are women – invited by Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) and Globalfoundries to take part in an intensive seven-week internship designed to introduce them to the world of semiconductors and hopefully foster the people who will take the reins in running Abu Dhabi’s foundry.

“When I told my professors that I was going to work at a foundry, they said that this is an opportunity that engineering students don’t often get,” said Ammar al Marzouqi, a third-year computer engineering student from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “We’re getting to look at what’s actually being produced now and what the research and development teams are trying to work on for the future.”

It also opens the door for young Arab females to become trained as semiconductor engineers, a field that generally does not attract a lot of women. “It’s great that females from the UAE have entered this industry and that the country is looking carefully for its plan for the future,” said Ebtesam al Mazrooei, a masters communications engineering student at United Arab Emirates University. “There’s a lot of information coming at you for the first two weeks but once you enter and see the manufacturing of wafers in the clean room, it is really an amazing experience.”

Hamda al Shehhi, a third-year chemical engineering student at the same university, said the experience had given her a new “plan for the rest of her life”. “It was difficult for me at the beginning because I’m not trained in electrical engineering, but when I came to Dresden, I feel that this is something I can be good at,” Ms al Shehhi said.

Abu Dhabi eyes tech future

Capital seeks to play a key role in research and development in bid to drive an innovation-based economy and make education affordable and accessible

- By Ibrahim Ajami, Special to Gulf News
- Published: 00:00July 21, 2010

Double-dip recession or not, global consumers are retaining a crush on their personal electronic goods and super smart mobile devices.

Even in tough economic times, the confluence of advances in computing, communications, mobile handsets, digital content and growing worldwide adoption of the internet is fuelling new purchases and creating a mobile revolution.

Not surprisingly, this consumption is becoming more Asia-centric. While China's gross domestic product constitutes roughly 60 per cent of the GDP of the US, China already consumes more electronics than the US, attributable to China's large middle-class of 400 million citizens.

Powering each of these electronic devices is a semiconductor chip, the "brain" that manages performance of each electronic good — whether it's a laptop, mobile phone, or even your new washing machine or automobile.

Semiconductors are synonymous with innovation and productivity. Over the past 50 years, the semiconductor industry has transformed our way of life through intense innovation. We have leapfrogged from the invention of mainframe computers in the 1960s to the ubiquity of personal computers in the 1980s to the internet in the 1990s.

Mobile revolution

Now the mobile revolution is at hand: over one billion units sold with another nine billion on the way, all connected over wireless broadband links to millions of data servers via the "cloud," delivering content and services anytime, anywhere.

The more mobile, more integrated, more Asia-centric, more digital world has significant implications for us in Abu Dhabi. Why? Because Abu Dhabi is investing in the development and manufacturing of this growing and influential sector.

In 2008, Abu Dhabi decided to make a substantial investment in semiconductor manufacturing. It is one of the most technologically complex and sophisticated industries on earth. Over two billion transistors can fit on a microchip the size of your fingernail.

No other industry on earth doubles its productivity with little additional cost to consumers. Imagine an automobile coming to market using half the gasoline, giving you twice the mileage, with increased speed at a lower cost — every two years.

If you look at Taiwan, Singapore or high-tech clusters like Saxony in Germany or Silicon Valley, you can see what an advanced technology network of talent and technology can do to create job growth and economic transformation. This investment is fully in line with Abu Dhabi's 2030 vision to diversify our economy over the next two decades. The semiconductor industry is also as global as any industry can get.

To date, the Advanced Technology Investment Company of Abu Dhabi has committed over $10 billion to our portfolio company, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, rapidly making it one of the largest semiconductor manufacturing companies on earth. In addition to facilities in Singapore, Dresden and upstate New York, we announced on June 1 our intention to create an advanced technology ecosystem in Abu Dhabi.

Our goal is to be more integrated with leading technology clusters. But you cannot create a vibrant technology cluster in Abu Dhabi without investing in research and development. You need the collaboration of academic institutions and internationally recognised research entities to bring this innovation to life here in Abu Dhabi. We need new students, teachers and academia to collaborate on innovation with industry leaders. That is what has worked so well in other parts of the world.

That is why the Abu Dhabi Education Council's (ADEC) recent announcement unveiling its higher education strategy is so significant. The goals are a) to raise the quality of Abu Dhabi's higher education to international levels; b) to align education with Abu Dhabi's economic, social and cultural needs; c) to build and maintain a research ecosystem to drive an innovation-based economy; and d) to make education affordable and accessible.

By 2018, the annual spend on this strategy will be Dh4.9 billion, much of it directed at research and development. This will elevate Abu Dhabi's R&D expenditure to around 0.75 per cent of GDP, approaching advanced world levels which range from 1.5 per cent of GDP to just over four per cent of GDP.

Implementation plan

This will not only be essential to semiconductors and advanced technology, but will drive innovation in aerospace, health care, and renewable energy, among other key pillars of the 2030 diversification strategy.

ADEC will now begin putting in place an implementation plan and we will support them by pulling in our global network of partners to realise a strong semiconductor R&D presence in Abu Dhabi.

The ADEC announcement came on the heels of a major semiconductor industry conference ATIC hosted in Abu Dhabi. In May, over sixty representatives of the world's most respected research institutions, in conjunction with the Semiconductor Research Corporation and the National Science Foundation, came to the Emirate to discuss the major research challenges facing the semiconductor industry.

We shared ideas but as importantly, began to gain their enthusiasm for the journey ahead and how Abu Dhabi can play a key role in their future research and development efforts. It is all part of an effort to shape our "human capital" here in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi's 2030 vision and its investments in the future have put the us on the path toward bringing that innovation home. One day, the device in your hand will have components in it that are designed in the US, developed and manufactured in Abu Dhabi, assembled in Singapore, and packaged in China. We have a long journey ahead of us, but we are investing in the critical components to make it a reality here in Abu Dhabi.


The writer is the Chief Executive Officer of the Advanced Technology Investment Company

[video] V5 125 - YouTube[/video]



You have said : “Passage to speed top” ? ^^

Pioneering chip plant in Abu Dhabi to cost at least $ 6bn

Ben Flanagan

- Last Updated: September 15. 2010 11:58PM UAE / September 15. 2010 7:58PM GMT


The Abu Dhabi Government-owned Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) is to spend between US $ 6billion and $ 7bn building its microchip manufacturing plant in the emirate.

The move is part of the company’s efforts to tap into rising demand for semiconductors.

News of the multibillion-dollar price tag comes just four months after the company selected a site for the plant near Abu Dhabi International Airport, which will become the first microchip factory in the Middle East when it begins production in 2015.

“$ 6bn to $ 7bn is the estimated cost of what it will take to build a state of the art fabricating facility anywhere in the world,” said a spokesman for ATIC.

ATIC’s planned spending on the plant comes on top of the $ 3.6bn the company has pledged to expand the capacity of its Globalfoundries microchip business.

That investment will be divided between Globalfoundries chip-making plants in Germany and the US. “[About] $ 1.6bn of that will be in Dresden, the other $ 2bn will be in New York,” the spokesman said.

In March, ATIC paid its US counterpart Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) $ 2.1bn for a 65.8 per cent stake in Globalfoundries. While ATIC’s stake has since grown to 73 per cent since March, the spokesman said it did not intend to take 100 per cent ownership of Globalfoundaries.

“Every new dollar we invest in Globalfoundries will, by evolution, reduce the percentage of what [AMD] owns in it. The intention is to continue to have a long partnership with AMD and not buy [Globalfoundries] outright. It’s not our intention to buy their share completely,” he said.

ATIC plans to broaden its investment focus next year. “Right now, the focus is on Globalfoundries. As you look at 2011, you will see that perspective start to broaden. You’ll see complementary kinds of investments in the technology ecosystem in 2011 and beyond,” the spokesman said.

He said design companies, intellectual property companies and those that serve chip-makingplants were possible investment targets.

ATIC said the Abu Dhabi plant would “be part of the Globalfoundries network” but added that ATIC may provide auxiliary services for the facility.

The launch of a factory will propel the UAE capital on to the world stage of technological development, the spokesman said. “It’s our strong belief that Abu Dhabi will be a hub as part of the global technology network,” he said, pointing to the increasing demand for high-tech products from the emerging markets in the Gulf and India.

Rising demand in the sector means the semiconductor foundry industry will be worth $26.8bn this year, said the technology research firm IC Insights.

Building a talent base in the UAE will be essential to the successful operation of a chip-making plant, which would typically employ 1,000 to 1,500 employees, ATIC said.

The talent gap is a “huge concern” in the launch of high-tech ventures such as the Abu Dhabi microchip plant, said Ranjit Rajan, the research director at IDC Middle East, Turkey and Africa.

“One of the biggest concerns with establishing high-tech manufacturing in general is lack of skills. In spite of all the Government has invested in education, it takes time for this to yield results,” he said.

Mr Rajan said there were several reasons behind ATIC’s decision to build a new plant in Abu Dhabi. One factor was the geographical position of the country between the markets in the East and West. Another was the expected increase in demand for microchips. A third was that the semiconductor business was not as labour intensive as other parts of the technology manufacturing industry, where much of the production has been outsourced to cheaper labour markets.

“The UAE can’t compete there, so it’s looking at areas that are not labour intensive but are technology intensive,” Mr Rajan said.

He said the semiconductor business suited Abu Dhabi as it “requires a lot of investment, and not everyone can do that”.

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

Microprocessor AMD

GlobalFoundries Granted Independence, Acquires Remaining Stake from AMD

by Anand Lal Shimpi on 3/4/2012 9:04 PM EST
Posted in CPUs , GlobalFoundries , AMD

When AMD originally spun off its foundry business in 2008, the resulting Foundry Company (as it was called back then) was 55.6% ATIC owned and 44.4% AMD owned. Since then the Foundry Company has been rebranded Global Foundries and has been on a march towards independence. Plans for additional fabs and the acquisition of Chartered Semiconductor both strengthened GF as a player in the foundry space. A closer relationship with ARM and its partners has also been a key element of GF's strategy.

AMD has been divesting itself from Global Foundries over the past few years and today announced that it has aquired the remaining shares of the company from AMD (approximately 14% of the company). Global Foundries is now completely independent of AMD, and AMD is now a regular partner/customer of GF's.

ATIC CEO ‘Ibrahim Ajami’ presents
Semiconductors : The Silver Lining

ATIC and GLOBALFOUNDRIES announce new leadership to drive continued investment through 2012

DRESDEN, GERMANY: June 16, 2011. As part of a plan to continue significant investments in technology, talent and manufacturing capacity over the next 18 months, the board of directors of GLOBALFOUNDRIES - along with its majority shareholder, the Advanced Technology Investment Company - announced today it has appointed new leadership to run the company.

Semiconductor industry veteran Ajit Manocha has been appointed interim Chief Executive Officer of GLOBALFOUNDRIES. James A. Norling will serve as Executive Chairman and Ibrahim Ajami will serve as Vice Chairman of the GLOBALFOUNDRIES board of directors. All appointments are effective immediately.

"GLOBALFOUNDRIES is just two years old, but in that short time customers have embraced what it represents to the market," said Norling. "At the same time, customers are asking us for more capacity, faster technology delivery and greater agility. The Board intends for this new management team to meet those customer needs while improving operational performance."

"GLOBALFOUNDRIES, with the continuous support of ATIC, is in the middle of an intense, competitive ramp-up of manufacturing capacity and technology development," said Ajami, who will also remain CEO of ATIC. Under this new leadership team, investment in GLOBALFOUNDRIES will double over the next 18 months."

Through end of May 2011, ATIC had invested over $6 billion, to acquire the former manufacturing assets of Advanced Micro Devices in Dresden, Germany ($2.1 billion in March 2009) and the assets of Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing of Singapore ($3.1 billion in December 2009) as well as an estimated $1 billion to construct a new fabrication facility in upstate New York. Through the end of 2012, ATIC will invest another approximately $6 billion in manufacturing capacity in Dresden, Singapore and New York with initial construction to begin in Abu Dhabi.

Doug Grose, who has served as CEO of GLOBALFOUNDRIES since its inception, will transition to become senior advisor to GLOBALFOUNDRIES and ATIC with a focus on technology leadership and ensuring delivery of next generation technologies for competitive differentiation. Chia Song Hwee, Chief Operating Officer, will remain with the company in that position until August 2011, when he will return to be part of Singapore's business future.

"Doug Grose and Chia Song Hwee formed the foundation of GLOBALFOUNDRIES, bringing together the world's leading-edge manufacturing technology with the heritage of a full-service foundry partner," said Norling. "This new leadership team will build on that foundation, as we increase investment in technology, capacity and talent while optimizing performance."

Norling also said an executive search for a permanent CEO has already begun. Manocha's focus in the short-term is to work closely with top management and talent of the company to optimize performance, continue progress on the customer and technology roadmap, and continue the efficient ramp of capacity in Dresden and New York.

Manocha is a veteran semiconductor industry executive with more than 30 years of global expertise in operations, general management, and manufacturing. Having recently served as an advisor to ATIC, Manocha brings a wealth of talent, experience and leadership ability to GLOBALFOUNDRIES at a critical time in the company's development. Manocha was previously Executive Vice President of Worldwide Operations at Spansion. Prior to Spansion, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Manufacturing Officer at NXP (formerly Philips Semiconductors), where he was responsible for worldwide IC manufacturing, supply chain management and purchasing for the semiconductor division. Manocha held senior executive and management positions at AT&T Microelectronics and AT&T Bell Laboratories, and began his career as a research scientist and was granted over a dozen U.S. and international patents for several novel inventions in the field of technology for microelectronics.

Norling is the former Chairman of Chartered Semiconductor and also served as interim CEO of that company in 2002. He has over three decades of working experience in the electronics industry, with global breadth and deep customer relationships. Norling was with Motorola Inc. from 1965 to 2000 holding various positions, including President of the Semiconductor Products Sector for seven years, from 1986 to 1993. He was also president of the Europe, Middle East and Africa region in 1993, deputy to the chief executive officer in 1998 and president of the Personal Communications Sector from 1999 until 2000, when he retired from Motorola. In 2001, he joined the board of Chartered Semiconductor.

Ajami has been CEO of ATIC since November 2008, leading the investment company through strategic acquisitions of semiconductor manufacturing assets and the creation of GLOBALFOUNDRIES as well as other investments in innovative start-up companies such as Calxeda. Ajami brings strong customer and partner relationships to GLOBALFOUNDRIES with a focus on investment discipline. He joined ATIC from Mubadala Development Company, where he was Associate Director of Acquisitions and led the initial investment in AMD in 2007. Prior to Mubadala, he held several positions in Silicon Valley, including Packard Bell/NEC.

About GLOBALFOUNDRIES

GLOBALFOUNDRIES is the world's first full-service semiconductor foundry with a truly global manufacturing and technology footprint. Launched in March 2009 through a partnership between AMD [NYSE: AMD] and the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC), GLOBALFOUNDRIES provides a unique combination of advanced technology, manufacturing excellence and global operations. With the integration of Chartered in January 2010, GLOBALFOUNDRIES significantly expanded its capacity and ability to provide best-in-class foundry services from mainstream to the leading edge. GLOBALFOUNDRIES is headquartered in Silicon Valley with manufacturing operations in Singapore, Germany, and a new leading-edge fab under construction in Saratoga County, New York. These sites are supported by a global network of R&D, design enablement, and customer support in Singapore, China, Taiwan, Japan, the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

About ATIC

The Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) was created in 2008. A technology investment company wholly owned by the Mubadala Development Company of Abu Dhabi, ATIC is focused on making significant investments in the advanced technology sector, both locally and internationally. Its mandate is to generate returns that deliver long-term benefits to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

ATIC seeks to leverage the unique advantages it enjoys as an investor from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to identify and realize long-term investment opportunities in the highly competitive and capital-intensive advanced technology sector. These advantages include significant and reliable capital, a patient investment philosophy, and a subsequently long-term investment horizon

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

KSA

Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU)

KSU Maintains Status as Premier University among Arab and Islamic Nations in 2012 Shanghai Ranking

Mon, 27 Aug, 2012

King Saud University is among three Saudi universities prominently featured in the 2012 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), released on August 15. According to ARWU’s annual assessment of the world’s best 500 universities, KSU ranks among the top 300 and maintains its 2011 status as the premier university among Arab and Islamic nations.

The ARWU, also known as the Shanghai Ranking, has been compiled by the Center for World-Class Universities of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (CWCU) since 2003. Initially created to measure the global standing of Chinese universities, it is now considered among the world’s most trusted international university ranking thanks to its scientific methodology and strong commitment to objectivity.

King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) remains among the top 400 international universities, an honor now shared by Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz University (KAU).

The presence of three Saudi universities on the Shanghai Ranking is an unprecedented achievement for any Arab or Islamic nation, and illustrates the Kingdom’s strong commitment to elevating the quality and international status of its institutions of higher education and scientific research.

Indeed, Saudi universities have achieved remarkable progress regarding the ARWU in the past four years. Not only was KSU the sole Saudi representative among the top 500 international universities in 2009, it was the only Arab university to make the list. In 2010, KSU was ranked No. 391, while KFUPM entered the top 500 at No. 480. Last year, KSU broke into the list of top 300 international universities, placing No. 261, while KFUPM moved up into the top 400.

This year, the presence of three Saudi universities on this prestigious list is an unprecedented achievement for the Kingdom.

Four other Islamic universities are included on this year’s ARWU:

- Cairo University placed among the top 500 universities;

- Teheran University placed among the top 400 universities;

- Istanbul University and Malaya University in Malaysia placed among the top 500 universities;


ARWU criteria include:

- Quality of Education: Based on the number of alumni having won awards such as the Nobel Prize. This criterion carries a weight of 10%.

- Quality of Faculty-Staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals (pure mathematics): Assessed by the number of staff of an institution winning outstanding awards such as the Nobel Prize. This criterion carries a weight of 20%.

- Quality of Faculty - ”ISI Highly Cited” Researchers: Based on a university’s highly-cited researchers in broad subject categories that include natural sciences and mathematics (SCI), engineering/technology and computer Sciences (ENG), life and agriculture sciences (LIFE), clinical medicine and pharmacy (MED) and social sciences (SOC).

- Articles published in Refereed Journals: Assessed by the number of articles published in top scientific journals such as Nature and Science. This criterion carries a weight of 20%.

- Articles in Science Citation Index - expanded and Social Science Citation Index: Assessed by the number of times this research is quoted by other researchers. This criterion carries a weight of 20%.

- Size of Institution: This refers to the performance of an institution as related to its size. This criterion carries a weight of 10%.


ksu.edu.sa

The Academic Ranking of World Universities is regarded to be one of the three most influential and widely observed international university rankings, along with the QS World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. It is said that its consistent and objective methodology is praised when compared with other rankings.


Influence

As the first multi-indicator ranking of global universities, ARWU has attracted a great deal of attention from universities, governments and media. A survey on higher education published by The Economist in 2005 commented ARWU as "the most widely used annual ranking of the world's research universities." In 2010, the Chronicle of Higher Education called ARWU "the best-known and most influential global ranking of universities".

One of the factors in the significant influence of ARWU is that its methodology is said to look globally sound and transparent. EU Research Headlines reported the ARWU's work on 31st Dec 2003: "The universities were carefully evaluated using several indicators of research performance." Chancellor of Oxford University, Prof. Chris Patten, said "the methodology looks fairly solid ... it looks like a pretty good stab at a fair comparison." Vice-Chancellor of Australian National University, Prof. Ian Chubb, said "The SJTU rankings were reported quickly and widely around the world… (and they) offer an important comparative view of research performance and reputation." Margison (2007) also commented the ARWU ranking that one of the strengths of "the academically rigorous and globally inclusive Jiao Tong approach" is "constantly tuning its rankings and invites open collaboration in that." Philip G. Altbach named ARWU's "consistency, clarity of purpose, and transparency" as significant strengths.

The ARWU ranking and its content have been widely cited and applied as a starting point for identifying national strengths and weaknesses as well as facilitating reform and setting new initiatives. Bill Destler (2008), the president of the Rochester Institute of Technology, draw reference to the ARWU ranking to analyze the comparative advantages the Western Europe and US have in terms of intellectual talent and creativity in his publication in the journal Nature.

European commissioner of Education, Jan Figel, pointed out in an interview in 2007 that "if you look at the Shanghai index, we are the strongest continent in terms of numbers and potential but we are also shifting into a secondary position in terms of quality and attractiveness. If we don't act we will see an uptake or overtake by Chinese or Indian universities." Also, Enserink (2007) referred to ARWU and argued in a paper published in Science that "France's poor showing in the Shanghai ranking ... helped trigger a national debate about higher education that resulted in a new law... giving universities more freedom." The world leading think tank Rand Corporation used the ARWU ranking as evidence in their consultancy paper to the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.


Academic Ranking of World Universities - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Academic Ranking of World Universities – 2011

King Saud University : 211 (201-300)

King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals : 332 (301-400)

Academic Ranking of World Universities - 2011| Top 500 universities | Shanghai Ranking - 2011 | World University Ranking - 2011


Academic Ranking of World Universities - 2012

King Saud University : 212 (201-300)

King Abdulaziz University : 332 (301-400)

King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals : 333 (301-400)

Academic Ranking of World Universities - 2012| Top 500 universities | Shanghai Ranking - 2012 | World University Ranking - 2012

Saudi Arabia Universities in Top 500 - 2012



Memo significant (see old links): All these places of education and research centers are pooled for ‘all GCC members’.


KAUST (KSA)

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-defence/243555-gcc-states-economic-development.html#post4119172


QSTP (Qatar)

Official inauguration of QSTP

Qatar : The "Qatar Science & Technology Park" (QSTP) Part 1.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/milita...ar-science-technology-park-qstp-part-1-a.html


Qatar : The "Qatar Science & Technology Park" (QSTP) Part 2.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/milita...ar-science-technology-park-qstp-part-2-a.html


Sidra Medical and Research Center (Qatar)

http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-photos-multimedia/176647-qatar-sidra-medical-research-center.html

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

Qatar and Volkswagen will have intensive cooperation in R & D

^^

Volkswagen, Qatar to strengthen cooperation

15 mars 2010

FRANKFURT - German carmaker Volkswagen AG said early this week that it will strengthen its cooperation with Qatar in the fields of research, development and education.

A delegation from Volkswagen, Porsche Automobil Holding SE and from the German state of Lower Saxony has visited Qatar and met with high-level officials from the emirate. Among the discussed topics were possible research cooperation into new materials, energy production and storage, fuel economy optimization in engines, and the medium-term openings for establishing a vehicle materials test laboratory.

Qatar Holding LLC (QH) is one of Volkswagen AG’s major shareholders, along with the state of Lower Saxony and Porsche SE. The shareholding is the emirate’s largest single investment to date. Volkswagen is Europe’s biggest carmaker.

Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) said that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which sets out the foundation for a series of cooperation initiatives between QH, Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), Volkswagen AG (VW) and Porsche SE (PSE).

The MOU seeks to develop further cooperation between QH, QSTP, VW and PSE within the State of Qatar subsequent to QH investment in these German automotive companies in August 2009.

QH investment in PSE and VW had envisaged the establishment of R&D and testing and training facilities in Doha, as well as other avenues of cooperation.

QSTP (Qatar Science & Technology Park)
















Qatar : The "Qatar Science & Technology Park" (QSTP) Part 1.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/milita...ar-science-technology-park-qstp-part-1-a.html

Qatar : The "Qatar Science & Technology Park" (QSTP) Part 2.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/milita...ar-science-technology-park-qstp-part-2-a.html

Qatar and Volkswagen agree to intensify cooperation

The FINANCIAL 16/03/2010 14:46

The FINANCIAL -- The Emirate of Qatar, the Volkswagen Group, Porsche Automobil Holding SE and the State of Lower Saxony wish to strengthen their cooperation, particularly in the fields of research, development and education.

This was agreed on the occasion of a visit to Qatar, when the Crown Prince and Personal Representative of the Emir, His Highness Sheik Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, received a delegation of representatives from the Supervisory Board and Board of Management of Volkswagen AG and Porsche Automobil Holding SE and from the State of Lower Saxony.

The delegation included Prof. Dr. Ferdinand K. Piëch, Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn and Prime Minister Christian Wulff, and was accompanied by the German Ambassador Dr. Dirk Baumgartner.

Topics discussed included possible research cooperation into new materials, energy production and storage, fuel economy optimization in engines, and the medium-term openings for establishing a vehicle materials test laboratory.

Furthermore, all the parties expressed an interest in cooperation with the Qatar Foundation regarding vocational training and further study courses at Qatar University and the AutoUni in Wolfsburg.

Prof. Dr. Winterkorn underscored the benefits of intensified cooperation with Qatar: “The development of modern and resource-efficient vehicles increasingly calls for interdisciplinary cooperation in such diverse fields as electronics and materials science. Our plans to establish a test laboratory will put us in a position to test new materials under very challenging climatic conditions, thereby extending our leading position in research and development.”

Prime Minister Christian Wulff welcomed the talks, saying these were an important foundation for success-oriented cooperation of benefit to all.

Apart from the audience with the Crown Prince of Qatar, the delegation of six also met with the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheik Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani. All attending this meeting reaffirmed their intention to set up a long-term strategic partnership in various fields.

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

The Mobile Life Campus Institute AutoUni of Volkswagen Group in Wolfsburg.












The various departments of education, training, research and innovation that make up the institute are:

- Institute for Product Development (IFPE) of the Volkswagen Group
- Institute for Production, Logistics and Components (IFPLK) of the Volkswagen Group
- Institute for Procurement (Institut für Beschaffung, IFB) of the Volkswagen Group
- Institute for Marketing and Sales (Institut für Marketing und Vertrieb, IFMV) of the Volkswagen Group
- Institute for Information Technology (Institut für Informatik, IFI) of the Volkswagen Group
- Institute for Work and Personnel Management (Institut für Arbeit und Personalmanagement, IFAP) of the Volkswagen Group
- Institute for Finance and Controlling (Institut für Finanzen und Controlling, IFFC) of the Volkswagen Group
- Institute for Communication (IFK) of the Volkswagen Group

AutoUni | Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft



Flashback… ^^

Qatar becomes major shareholder in Volkswagen

by Christoph Steitz and Christiaan Hetzner on Saturday, 19 December 2009

Qatar has a 17 percent voting stake in Volkswagen and Porsche said on Friday the state is set to take a seat on its supervisory board, underlining the more active role Gulf states are playing in the German auto industry.

The move has also fuelled expectations that the falling number of freely traded VW ordinary shares could mean they are replaced on Germany's blue-chip index by its preferred shares.

After exercising options in Volkswagen -- as had been expected by market participants for some time -- Qatar Holding LLC now holds 17 percent in Volkswagen's share capital, it said.

"As a long-term strategic investor, we continue to believe that the investment in VW and the envisaged combination of Porsche SE and VW represents a unique investment asset for Qatar Holding," said Ahmad Al-Sayed, CEO of Qatar Holding.

Volkswagen ordinary shares have been a prominent feature of Gernmany's blue-chip index since its inception in 1987.

Expulsion from the index is expected to put pressure on the value of the ordinary shares, which last October traded at above 1,000 euros, making the carmaker temporarily the world's largest by market value.

"From our point of view, as of today the free float in VW ords will fall below the 10 percent threshold," DZ Bank analyst Michael Punzet wrote in a note. "We expect a positive momentum in the next trading days," Punzet wrote, referring to the preferred shares.

Ordinary shares in the company fell as much as 6.5 percent, recovering to trade 2.43 percent lower at 78.06 by 1528 GMT while the preferred shares rose as much as 4.3 percent, dropping back to trade 1.71 percent higher by 1528 GMT.

In addition, Porsche said -- in the invitation to its annual general meeting scheduled for Jan. 29 -- it would propose Qatar's Sheikh Jassim Bin Abdulaziz Bin Jassim Al-Thani for a place on its supervisory board.


Reuters

Volkswagen AG Structure

Volkswagen AG belongs only to the three major shareholders who are 'Mr. Ferdinand Oliver Porsche', 'State of Lower Saxony "and" Qatar Holding'.

- State of Lower Saxony : 20,00%

- Qatar Holding (blocking minority to ‘board of directors&#8217 : 17,00%

- Common shareholders / others (Institutional shareholders such as banks etc ...) : 9,90%

No seat and no right to the supervisory board instead of real locus of control on company


Official link:

Volkswagen Group Shareholder Structure

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

Future…

Qatar could strengthen ties to Volkswagen

by Christiaan HetznerThis on Wednesday, 19 May 2010

Qatar, which controls 17 percent of the votes in Volkswagen, is considering teaming up with Europe's largest carmaker for joint investments in the auto industry, according to a German magazine.

In an interview with German business magazine Capital, Hussain Ali Al Abdulla, member of the VW supervisory board and vice chairman, Qatar Holding, said: "We can help VW to expand, we could even create companies together."

The Qatari executive signalled his country, too, would look to play a much more visible role than sovereign wealth funds from the Gulf have in the past in Germany.
Abu Dhabi based Aabar, which belongs to the emirate's IPIC wealth fund, started the trend ever since it took a 9.1 percent stake in Daimler.

He suggested the Gulf state could also support it in any efforts to expand VW's control over Suzuki.

He said: "We could for example buy a stake equal to the 20 percent that Volkswagen owns and then control this firm together."

When asked to elaborate, the Qatari said: "Oh, I am only thinking out loud."

The chief executive of family controlled Suzuki, Osamu Suzuki, has been quick to say quash speculation that he would support VW purchasing more shares and denied that the Japanese carmaker was now the 11th horse in Volkswagen's stable of brands.

Qatar Holding's Al Abdulla also told Capital he would be a very active member of the board, and sharply criticised the German carmaker's lack of share in the United States.

He said: "I don't understand why Toyota controls nearly 20 percent of the US market while VW doesn't even have 3 percent. They could have 30 percent but they don't build the right cars for US buyers. The company has to do more there."

Volkswagen aims to overtake Toyota as the world's largest carmaker by 2018.


Reuters

Hamburg, 2011-05-03

Volkswagen shareholders elect Annika Falkengren and Khalifa Jassim Al-Kuwari as new Supervisory Board members

Shareholders approve dividend proposal

The shareholders present and represented at the 51st Annual General Meeting of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft approved the dividend proposal for the 2010 fiscal year in Hamburg on Tuesday. The recommendation of the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board to pay a dividend of €2.20 (previous year: €1.60) per ordinary share and €2.26 (previous year: €1.66) per preferred share was accepted by a majority of 99.99 percent of the votes cast. Approximately €1 billion will therefore be appropriated from the net profit of Volkswagen AG for distribution. 91.99 percent of the voting capital was represented at the Annual General Meeting.

The resolutions on formal approval of the actions of the members of the Board of Management and of the actions of the members of the Supervisory Board for fiscal year 2010 were passed by over 99 percent of the votes cast at the Annual General Meeting.

President and Group Chief Executive of Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (SEB AB), Stockholm, Sweden, Annika Falkengren, and the Executive Director of Qatar Holding LLC, Doha, Qatar, Khalifa Jassim Al-Kuwari, were elected as new members of the Supervisory Board.

Furthermore, the Board of Management was authorized to issue a total of up to 43 million new ordinary and preferred shares over the next five years. In addition, the Board of Management was granted a further authorization to repurchase up to ten percent of ordinary or preferred shares.

Volkswagen Group Volkswagen shareholders elect Annika Falkengren and Khalifa Jassim Al-Kuwari as new Supervisory Board members

Invitation/Agenda
5. Election of members of the Supervisory Board


Annika Falkengren



Date of birth:

April 12, 1962


Education:

Bachelor of Science in Economics


Professional activity:

President and CEO of Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (SEB AB), Stockholm, Sweden


Foreign appointments, comparable with membership in statutory supervisory boards in Germany:

Securitas AB, Stockholm, Sweden



Khalifa Jassim Al-Kuwari



Date of birth:

January 10, 1977


Education:

Bachelor of Business Administration
Master’s degree in Accountancy


Professional activity:

Executive Director of Qatar Holding LLC, Doha, Qatar


Foreign appointments, comparable with membership in statutory supervisory boards in Germany:

Harrods Limited, England
Songbird Estates PLC, England
Mowasalat, Qatar
Qatar Exchange, Qatar


Volkswagen Group Tagesordnungpunkt 5

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

KSA

Thank you very much @ Mosamania


New gas turbine manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia



Erlangen, Germany, 2012-May-08

Siemens took the next step towards a massive expansion of its activities in Saudi Arabia, breaking ground on a landmark manufacturing facility for gas turbines and compressors. Planned for completion in late 2013, the center will create job opportunities for young Saudis, serving as a knowledge transfer hub for new Siemens technology and supporting the country's industrialization drive. The groundbreaking ceremony held under the patronage of H.R.H. Prince Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Governor of the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia, took place in the presence of several government officials, the local partner E.A. Juffali & Brothers, executives from Saudi Electricity Company and Saudi Aramco, as well as high-ranking representatives of Siemens.

The power equipment manufactured at the plant will be supplied to the local Saudi market, where energy requirements are strongly increasing. Siemens and its local partner, E.A. Juffali & Brothers, will invest jointly a three-digit million US Dollar figure in the facility, which will be constructed on a 220,000 square-meter site in Dammam in the Kingdom's Eastern Region. The manufacturing facility is the first of its kind for Siemens in the Middle East.

"With this new facility, Siemens is clearly strengthening its long-term commitment to Saudi Arabia. We will create qualified jobs and train young Saudis in order to achieve a true transfer of our innovative technologies," said Michael Suess, CEO of the Energy Sector and member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG.

Siemens, in association with Saudi Petroleum Services Polytechnic (SPSP) and the Kingdom's Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), offers a two-year technical apprenticeship program provided by SPSP, followed by one year of on-the-job training at Siemens. Depending on their job fields, which students will specialize in during the program, they will be trained in various Siemens locations in Germany and the USA. The first 40 Saudi students started their program in December 2011.

Sheikh Sami Juffali, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Siemens Ltd. said: "As the partner of Siemens in Saudi Arabia, E.A. Juffali & Brothers is extremely proud to be part of their ongoing contribution to the development of infrastructure and human capital in the Kingdom which has spanned over 50 years."

Siemens has been present in the Kingdom since the early 1930s and today has around 2,000 employees at five different locations across the country. Arja Talakar, CEO of Siemens Saudi Arabia, said: "With the creation of this new hub, we will further contribute to the rapid development of the Kingdom and to the realization of its ambitious industrialization plans."

Professor Siegfried Russwurm, CEO of the Industry Sector, member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and responsible for the Middle East region within the company, pointed out: "The Middle East region has large natural resources on the one hand and expects a considerable demographic development on the other. Siemens is ready to serve as a one-stop shop for sustainable solutions in various fields of development, reaching from energy, industry and infrastructure to healthcare".

This new site will meet the highest requirements in terms of sustainability and resource efficiency. LEED Gold Certification in the category "New Construction" will be aimed for. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is an internationally recognized certification system for environmentally compatible and sustainable buildings. The new building will score highly in water and energy efficiency, for example with the aid of water-saving fittings and highly efficient air-conditioning systems. Energy consumption is scheduled to be at least 20 percent lower than that for a comparably used building.


Siemens Global Website

Siemens breaks ground on new gas turbine manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia

Training of Saudi workforce has already started successfully

2012-May-08

Under the patronage of H.R.H. Prince Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Governor of the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia, Siemens and its local partner E.A.Juffali & Brothers laid the foundation stone for the new gas turbine manufacturing facility in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

(From left to the right) Arja Talakar, CEO of Siemens Saudi Arabia, Dr.Saleh Al Awaji, Deputy Minister of Water and Electricity for Electricity Affairs, Dr. Michael Suess, CEO of the Energy Sector and member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG, Abdulrahman Al-Wuhaib, Senior Vice President of Saudi Aramco, Ali Al-Barrak, CEO of Saudi Electricity Company, Sheikh Sami Juffali, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Siemens Ltd. in Saudi Arabia.