China’s Donghexin to build Saudi Arabia’s first tinplate facility in Ras Al-Khair

SAUDI ARABIA – Saudi Arabia’s National Industrialization Company (Tasnee) has partnered with China’s Shanghai Donghexin Group to establish the Middle East’s first tinplate production facility.

The strategic project will be located in Ras Al-Khair Industrial City, a fast-growing industrial hub on Saudi Arabia’s eastern coast.

According to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, the facility is expected to become operational by mid-2027 and will have an annual production capacity of 400,000 tonnes.

Significantly, 50% of the tinplate output is planned for export, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s growing ambitions to serve both domestic and international markets in the metal packaging sector.

Tinplate, a thin steel sheet coated with tin, is widely used in the manufacture of packaging materials, especially for food and beverage cans, as well as containers for paints, oils, and chemicals.

The new facility is expected to significantly reduce Saudi Arabia’s reliance on imported tinplate, thus enhancing local value chains and promoting self-sufficiency in industrial packaging materials.

The project also aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 strategy, which seeks to diversify the economy beyond oil by building strong, export-driven manufacturing and industrial sectors.

By investing in advanced material production, such as tinplate, the initiative supports key downstream industries and encourages the localization of industrial technologies.

Shanghai Donghexin Group, a key player in China’s metal materials sector, brings with it decades of technical expertise and manufacturing experience.

The partnership with Tasnee signals a strong bilateral industrial cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia, especially in sectors critical to infrastructure, food security, and manufacturing.

The facility is also expected to generate significant employment opportunities and stimulate ancillary industries, including canning, printing, and logistics.

Additionally, the project will contribute to building a more resilient regional supply chain, particularly for food-grade and industrial-grade metal packaging.

With tinplate demand steadily rising in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and surrounding regions, this investment marks a timely and strategic move.

As the region’s first producer, the Ras Al-Khair facility positions Saudi Arabia as a new leader in tinplate manufacturing, opening the door to further industrial innovation and export growth across the Middle East and beyond.

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