MoU signed to set up Qatar Salt Products Company at Um Al Houl

MPHC, QIMC, Turkiye’s Atlas Yatirim Planlama have signed an agreement to establish a joint venture - Qatar Salt Products Company (QSalt), which will build a new salt production facility at Um Al Houl in Qatar.

The MoU was signed in the presence of HE the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, also the President and CEO of QatarEnergy at the QatarEnergy headquarters, which was attended by senior executives from QatarEnergy and the participating companies.

This strategic partnership, an initiative by QatarEnergy’s TAWTEEN localisation programme, brought together Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding Company (MPHC - 40% share), Qatar Industrial Manufacturing Company (QIMC- 30% share), and Turkiye’s Atlas Yatirim Planlama (30% share).

The new joint venture will build a QR1bn salt production plant in Qatar’s Um Al Houl area and will be operated by Qatar Petrochemical Company (Qapco) and Qatar Vinyl Company (QVC).

Commenting on the occasion, Minister al-Kaabi said, “We are pleased to witness the establishment of this very important joint venture that will help enhance Qatar’s self-sufficiency by producing both industrial and table salts to meet local demand and to support regional and international exports.”

Al-Kaabi added: “I would like to congratulate all partners and stakeholders in Qatar Salt Products Company on this achievement, which I believe will further support the supply chain and industrial localisation in the State of Qatar, as well as promote sustainable environmental practices.”

On his part, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Mohammed bin Jabr al-Thani, Chairman, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing Company, expressed delight at being part of this pioneering project, the first of its kind in the region, which employs advanced technology to utilise brine from the desalination process. He praised QatarEnergy’s role in boosting private sector contribution to the national economy.

Nusret Argun, Chairman, Board of Directors, Atlas Yatirim Planlama, said, “We are proud to have come to the realisation phase of this project, which we have taken part in every stage. This facility will be the first facility of the Middle East region and it will serve localisation and supply security by meeting both industrial and food-grade salt needs. As a Turkish company in Qatar, we are pleased to be involved in such a project.”

The new plant, which will be built at an estimated cost of about QR1bn, will also produce industrial salts essential for the petrochemical industry, along with bromine, potassium chlorides, and demineralised water, which will be produced at a later stage, contributing to product diversification and economic growth.

This innovative facility will utilise reject water recovery from reverse osmosis (RO) desalination units, transforming waste from desalination processes into a valuable resource.

With a production capacity of 1mn tons per year, the plant will significantly reduce Qatar’s reliance on imported raw materials, addressing the current import of approximately 850,000 tons of table and industrial salts annually.

As part of the TAWTEEN programme, the project will benefit from initiatives designed to enhance local content and support the growth of domestic industries. This collaboration highlights a strong public-private partnership aimed at achieving key national objectives.

Ends