New manufacturing zone in Riyadh to accelerate deployment of locally assembled automation panels for critical infrastructure projects
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Rockwell Automation, the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, today announced a strategic collaboration with alfanar, a leading Saudi Arabian energy and infrastructure solutions provider, to establish a dedicated manufacturing zone within alfanar’s facility in Industrial City in Riyadh. This agreement marks a significant milestone in advancing industrial innovation and supporting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
This new manufacturing zone will serve as a hub for assembling advanced automation panels using Rockwell Automation’s latest technologies, including a wide range of offerings from the company’s intelligent devices, software and control and process automation solutions. These locally assembled panels will be deployed in key infrastructure and utility projects, with an initial focus on the Saudi Water Authority (SWA).
“This collaboration between alfanar, Rockwell Automation and the Saudi Water Authority represents a pivotal step in advancing Saudi Arabia’s localization agenda,” said Ahmad Haydar, country leader for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Rockwell Automation. “We are enabling the local assembly of advanced automation technologies and reinforcing SWA’s commitment to building resilient, high-performance infrastructure through Saudi talent and innovation. This initiative directly supports our priority to localize critical industrial capabilities, ensuring that the Kingdom’s water sector is empowered with solutions that are made in Saudi Arabia for Saudi Arabia.”
The collaboration was officially finalized with a signing ceremony at Automation Fair, Rockwell’s global event held recently in Chicago.
“Spearheaded by the Saudi Water Authority (SWA), this initiative constitutes a pivotal milestone in advancing the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030, particularly with respect to developing and deepening local content in the water sector,” said Eng. Sharekh Ibrahim AlSharekh, vice-president for technical affairs and projects in the Saudi Water Authority. “By nurturing national capabilities and maximizing in-Kingdom value creation, the initiative directly supports the Kingdom’s strategic objectives of sustainable economic diversification and reduced dependence on external sources.
“Through this program, SWA is reinforcing strategic international and domestic partnerships, cultivating a more attractive and competitive investment environment and driving the standardization of technical and engineering requirements for operational assets,” Eng. Sharekh Ibrahim AlSharekh continued. “Together, these efforts enhance the security, reliability and long-term resilience of the Kingdom’s water infrastructure, positioning the water sector as a fundamental pillar of national development and a model for Vision 2030–aligned transformation.”
By leveraging alfanar’s deep expertise in local manufacturing and Rockwell Automation’s cutting-edge solutions, the collaboration aims to deliver high-performance, digitally enabled systems tailored to the needs of industrial operators across the Kingdom. The manufacturing zone will also feature Rockwell Automation demonstration walls, showcasing the breadth of its automation and control technologies. This alignment is essential to support alfanar’s strategic direction, which considers the automation business as a critical enabler of its core solutions portfolio.
“Our partnership with Rockwell Automation marks a transformative moment for alfanar and for Saudi Arabia’s industrial future,” said Pascal Hoerter, president of alfanar group. “By combining Rockwell’s global leadership in automation with our deep-rooted expertise in local manufacturing, we are creating a powerful platform for innovation, knowledge transfer, and sustainable growth.”
About Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 26,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries as of fiscal year end 2025. To learn more about how we are bringing Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.
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