History 2005: Falcon Technologies International Invests in Write-Once DVD in United Arab  Emirates

Despite the fact that blank optical media manufacturers are legion, nearly 150 throughout the world, Falcon Technologies International or FTI is embarking in this business in the United Arab  Emirates, with a sales foothold in  Switzerland.

It is a newly-founded industrial group with HQ in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, where it’s currently  building a new DVD+, -R and dual layer DVD+R plant, in which production, slightly delayed, should  commence next April or May. 

Behind the new project, essentially, is group CEO Adel Michael, an Egyptian who was naturalized a  Swiss. He was the founder, chairman  and CEO for 15 years at 4M  Technologies Group, a maker of  optical disc manufacturing equipment. 

The start-up is a joint investment between Swiss-based Primustech Investment and a group of UAE corporate and private financial funds. Initial capital amounts to  $16 million and the total investment planned will be in the range of $180 million for a factory on an 11-hectare lot.

The site is next to another enormous plant, RAK Ceramics, a tile and sanitary materials manufacturer, whose CEO, Dr. Khater Masaad, happens to be on the  board of FTI.

So far there’s been no hint of the number of media production lines or production capacities. 

Martine Pillard, another 4M veteran and currently MD of  wholly-owned subsidiary FTI Europe in Lausanne, Switzerland, in  charge of WW sales and marketing, offered the following reason for the move to UAE: “The country is geographically closer to Europe than Asia, which means smaller delivery times, only 2 to 3 weeks, and we’ll be able to take advantage of the many freighters that deliver cargo to UAE and return to Europe empty. What’s more, there’s no  anti-dumping tax.” 

In addition to its production, FTI intends to sell, along with DVDs in OEM or under its own brand name, Raktek, CD-R/RWs from other sources, as well as flash cards. 

This article is an abstract of news published on issue 205 on January 2005 from the former paper version of Computer Data  Storage Newsletter.