Company says it addresses increased demand for heat reflective and eco-friendly paints in the Kingdom

According to the latest edition of the Saudi Arabia Infrastructure Report for the Third Quarter of 2011 from Business Monitor International (BMI), the country continues to be the GCC’s largest and most dynamic infrastructure market, with over US$100 billion worth of infrastructure projects under way, and US$80 billion worth of pledged housing projects. The large number of projects has, in its wake, created a demand for heat reflective and eco-friendly paints. In the light of this, Jotun Paints has revealed the launch of Jotashield Extreme, a new range of paints. Jotun has reportedly invested over US$25 million into research and development of its products.

The announcement explained that according to studies, the continuing development in urban areas in Saudi Arabia is expected to produce an Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. Studies have also shown that the temperatures in urban air domes in Saudi Arabia can run up to four degrees centigrade warmer than the surrounding countryside, prompting an increase in air conditioning costs and attendant air pollutants. Jotun said that keeping this in view, Jotashield Extreme had been created making use of a pigment technology that allowed surfaces to enjoy a darker shade of colour, but with a thermal indoor comfort and longer lasting protection. It claimed that the new range exceeded the international GS-11 standards for paint, and to date, was the only product in the Middle East that provided significant temperature reductions while protected surfaces from Near Infrared (NIR) effect.

Speaking about the launch, Faisal Karim, Marketing Manager, Jotun Paints, Saudi Arabia, said: “Jotashield Extreme is a result of Jotun’s extensive efforts to develop an exterior paint product that can not only reflect heat, but also promote a reduction in energy use.”