Coating industry in the United Arab Emirates
The UAE is one of the leading countries when looking at the Middle Eastern paint and coatings market. Its value is reaching for the 4 billion AED mark mainly due to the rapid growth in construction – architectural coatings account for 73% of the total local market value. The industry itself consists of international and local coating manufacturers, distributors and contractors as well as equipment manufacturers and raw material suppliers.
International coating companies in the Emirates
The United Arab Emirates 0ffers a central location and growing market place for many international coating manufacturers operating in the Middle East. These manufacturers include world’s top ten coating companies such as AkzoNobel, PPG and Kansai Paints. All these companies have annual sales above 10 billion dirhams.
Local paint and coating manufacturers, distributors and services

Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai is one of the latest projects completed with Ritver paints by RAR holding.
Next to the international coating manufacturers, UAE also offers a competitive market place for local coating companies including manufacturers, distributors and coating services (contractors). The only UAE coating company listed on the Coating World top 100 is RAR Holding, with AED613.3 million in sales, which ranks the 70th. RAR Holding also has successful subsidiaries such as Ritver JLT, RAR Painting UAE and Emathal Paints. Other coating companies that originate from the Emirates include Wellcoat, Gulf Paints, Al Gurg Paints and more.
There are also several coating contractors operating nationwide; for example Joseph Industries carries out coating projects on metal surfaces including powder coating, PVD and wet coating applications. Additionally, Dubai Coating Limited is there to coat offshore and marine projects.
QMEA – Quali Middle East Association
Since 2006 QMEA (Quali Middle East Association) has been guiding and certifying the coating industry in the Middle East. The association’s members include architectural coating applicators, powder coating manufacturers and pre-treatment chemicals suppliers. The QMEA-approved systems are qualified for the UAE climatic conditions – it is currently the General Licensee Holder of Qualicoat, Qualanod and Qualideco in the Middle East.
Visibility and networking in the Middle East Coating Show Dubai
The Middle East Coating Show (MECS) is an annual event organized in Dubai and it is the place to be for the companies within the coating industry. There are some 300 exhibitors and more than 5000 visitors all sharing their interest in coatings, coating raw materials, equipment and the latest developments and innovative solutions. MECS is the only event in the region targeting coating raw materials and equipment manufacturers. The event will take place again in February 2019.
More information on coating companies in UAE
In case you are searching for a company to provide you with coating products or services, do not hesitate to share your project with us! We specialize in connecting the supply with demand in the coating industry. In other words, we will find you the most suitable coating partner! All you need to do is send us an email with some project details.