Investment in the flat glass industry in the countries of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council, comprising Bahrein, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudia Arabia & the UAE) reached USD 564M in 2005, according to a report by the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC). The report said that member states are considered the future growth areas for flat glass due to substantial growth in the construction sector, driven by high oil prices & high population growth & estimates total investment in the construction sector in GCC countries at over US$80BN over the next 5 years. The glass sector is composed of over 75 companies; production is concentrated in Saudi Arabia, with an annual capacity of 131,000 tonnes. The capacity of all major glass processing industrial units is around 1.1M/tpa.
