UAE cable maker Ducab plans to tap new markets in Europe and Africa

Exclusive: Renewable energy sector is creating new opportunities, its chief executive says

Mohammed Al Mutawa, chief executive of Ducab, says the company has set its sights on newer export markets. Pawan Singh / The National

UAE cable maker Ducab plans to increase its exports to new markets including Europe, Africa and the US amid higher demand for its products, according to its chief executive.

“We continue to have our focus on expanding the reach of the products we have,” Mohammed Al Mutawa told The National on the sidelines of Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (Wetex), which began in Dubai on Tuesday.

The company sees a lot of potential in the European market in future as the region's shift "from traditional power to renewable energy is creating new opportunities”, he said.

Countries across the world are developing new renewable energy projects to reduce emissions and protect the environment, which is creating new demand for different products.

Ducab, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi's industrial holding company Senaat, exports 70 per cent of its products while UAE accounts for 30 per cent of sales. Currently, the GCC region, the UAE, the UK and Australia are its biggest markets.

“We are always looking for opportunities to expand: either [by opening a] manufacturing facility or opening our branch offices abroad,” Mr Al Mutawa said of the company’s expansion plans.

But he did not reveal where the company planned to open new units. Ducab currently has six manufacturing units in the UAE.

The company also aims to be an important contributor to the ‘Operation 300bn’ initiative that was unveiled by the UAE Government this year.

“The initiative [Operation 300bn] is at the centre of our near-future strategy to provide a platform that will help in achieving that goal,” Mr Al Mutawa said.

The UAE plans to more than double the contribution of the industrial sector to the country's overall economic output from Dh133bn to Dh300 billion by 2031.

Ducab posted a 36 per cent higher profit last year compared with 2019, despite the pandemic and hopes to maintain similar growth levels this year, said Mr Al Mutawa, who is the first Emirati chief executive in the company.