Al Shirawi to invest Dh150m in new facility

Dubai: Dubai-based Al Shir-awi Group will spend up to Dh150 million on a heavy vehicle workshop in Dubai as it expands its truck and bus repair and maintenance business.

The Dubai Industrial City-based facility will be handle 72 trucks simultaneously and employ 1,100 people, company executive director Thani Al Shirawi said.

The group will spend another Dh10 million in building a new maintenance and repair facility in Fujairah this year and invest Dh20 million in expanding its service centre in Ras Al Khaimah.

"We will spend between Dh120 million and Dh150 million on building the Dubai facility. Construction is starting now. It will be operational by the end of 2009," Al Shirawi told Gulf News.

The company is a local distributor for Swedish heavy vehicle manufacturer Scania. It will be handling service jobs for both Scania and other types of vehicles.

Al Shirawi will also be supplying tipper bodies and trailers for Scania trucks that will be partly assembled at an upcoming facility of the Swedish company in Jebel Ali Free Zone.