Doha, April 24 (QNA) - Qatar's first center for testing and repairing dry gas seal was opened in the Industrial zone of Ras Laffan Industrial City on Wednesday. The facility is the fruit of cooperation between US-based company John Crane, a global leader in rotating equipment solutions, supplying engineered technologies and services to process industries, and Al-Ahed Trading and Contracting Company, one of Qatars leading oil and gas and energy service providers. In a ceremony held Wednesday, QP Industrial Cities Directorate Vice President Abdulaziz Jassim Al Muftah said that opening the center is part of the country's major transformation in the industrial sector, stressing that QP has made a significant contribution to this transformation through the supply chains in the energy industry. QP has set several goals in its way to become a more reliable global supplier, along with working on supporting and diversification of the private sector. 

 He noted that QP also seeks to contribute to the country's plans to move towards economic diversification that embraces the knowledge-based economy and to attract international companies such as John Crane. He considered the opening of the center a step forward to strengthen the supply chain in the service sector in Qatar. He added that the opening of the new center will play an important part in encouraging small businesses in Qatar to bring in other major players to support the economy of Qatar, and at the same time, to develop local companies in Qatar. For his part, Al-Ahed Holding vice chairman and CEO Jassim Al Mansoori said that the center is the first of its kind in the Middle East to repair and test dry gas seal. He added that the center is an addition to the industrial sector in Qatar and will enable many maintenance and repair operations in the gas sector easily, noting that these operations needed longer time in the past and in some cases many of these operations were relying on neighboring countries. Al Mansouri said that the total cost of the project amounted to about QR 25 million in the first stage. A second stage will be added in a year or a year and a half. He stressed that the center contains the best and latest equipment for seals of dry gas. The new service center will also enable John Crane to provide the after sales capabilities for all its customers in the region, which will have a positive impact on time and cost factors due to the proximity. (QNA)