#Nonwovens / Technical Textiles

2021-12-22

SABIC’s polymer solutions enable first-ever local production of N95 Masks

SABIC’s journey toward localizing the production of hygiene and personal protection equipment reached an important milestone when a local medical products company applied its polymer solutions to produce N95 masks in Saudi Arabia for the first time.

Using SABIC’s polypropylene material, the Saudi Mais Company produced the N95 masks in collaboration with Demas Factory for Non-Woven Fabrics and obtained the necessary approvals after conforming to the Saudi Food and Drug Authority specifications.

Yousef Al-Benyan, SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, said that SABIC is strongly committed to contributing toward achieving Saudi Vision 2030 goals through NUSANED™, a SABIC national initiative that enables the development of strategic industries and supports Saudi companies to maximize local content. He said that SABIC is working closely with local manufacturers to create innovative and sustainable solutions and is developing the necessary raw materials to produce quality products.

Al-Benyan added that the local production of masks is an important step in localizing medical products that contribute toward improving public health. He noted that the NUSANED™ initiative covers a wide base of entrepreneurs and manufacturers to help localize strategic industries and transfer the necessary technologies.

A team from SABIC recently visited Demas and Mais factories where they met with plant executives who valued SABIC’s efforts in producing the raw materials to manufacture the N95 masks entirely from innovative materials made in Saud Arabia. They stressed that this successful engagement reflected the importance of collaboration between the private and public sectors to support national products and localize the hygiene and personal protection equipment industry.

SABIC launched a Hygiene and Healthcare unit in September to further expand its market focus and adopt innovation to respond promptly to customer needs and provide more focused solutions. The aim was to keep pace with the world’s changing requirements by promoting the contribution of petrochemicals to the medical equipment sector. This was especially necessitated after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting the global supply chains of hygiene products and leading to severe restrictions on medical product exports in many countries.

ANDRITZ sets focus on textile recycling and durable nonwoven production technologies at ITMA Asia 2025

International technology Group ANDRITZ will be presenting its innovative nonwovens production and textile solutions at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 in Singapore, from October 28 to 31, 2025 (Hall 2, D106). ANDRITZ will showcase its MMCF production plants, textile sorting and recycling, bast fiber processing, needlepunch, airlay, and life-cycle service technologies, with a focus on sustainable solutions. Discover how these innovations can grow your business opportunities and support a greener future.

OUTLOOK™ 2025: Charting a sustainable and innovative future for the Nonwovens Industry

EDANA concluded its flagship event, OUTLOOK™ 2025, last week, marking it as a major success and addressing the biggest questions facing the industry. The three-day conference highlighted the urgent need for a unified approach to sustainability, regulation, and innovation in the absorbent hygiene and wipes sectors.

Global Nonwovens Alliance unveils Inaugural Board, advancing collaboration and growth worldwide

The Global Nonwovens Alliance (GNA), a tax-exempt federation jointly founded by INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, and EDANA, the Voice of Nonwovens, announces the appointment of its founding Board of Directors. This group of leaders represents some of the most influential executives across the nonwovens value chain and reflects GNA’s mission to foster global collaboration, innovation, and growth in the industry.

GenuTrace client advisory: Is your cotton supply chain UFLPA ready?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released updated operational guidance (CBP Publication No. 5560-0526) expanding its forced labor enforcement framework. The guidance supersedes the original 2022 UFLPA Operational Guidance and now covers all forced labor enforcement authorities — UFLPA, CAATSA, and WROs/Findings — in a single unified document. For cotton importers, the enforcement posture has not softened. It has become more structured, more documented, and more demanding. Learn more about UFLPA.

STOLL: Agreement signed for the divestiture of selected assets

In early 2025, KARL MAYER announced its strategic decision to focus on its core business areas of WARP KNITTING, WARP PREPARATION, and TECHNICAL TEXTILES. As part of this move, the flat knitting machine business under the STOLL brand was discontinued and the production site in Reutlingen was closed in October 2025.

TERNAfil wins first place at PitchMiUp Night 2026 in Minden

The RWTH spin-off TERNAfil has developed MAXCarbon, a new high-performance hybrid fibre that combines the mechanical performance of carbon with the temperature and corrosion resistance of ceramic materials. For this development, TERNAfil was awarded first prize at the PitchMiUp Night in Minden on 21 May 2026.