As another eventful year draws to a close, we take a moment to reflect on the challenges, milestones, and successes that have shaped 2024. Despite global economic uncertainties and the ever-changing landscape of the industry, we are proud to report that our order books remain full, a testament to the trust and loyalty of customers like you. Your unwavering confidence drives us to keep innovating and delivering excellence in every project

Looking ahead, 2025 promises to be an exciting year filled with new opportunities and collaborations. We are kicking off the year with our participation in Arabplast 2025, the premier trade fair for plastics, petrochemicals, and rubber, held in Dubai this January. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect with industry leaders, explore emerging trends, and showcase our latest innovations. In March, we are excited to gather with partners and peers at the Krah Community Meeting in Egypt. This event has become a cornerstone for fostering collaboration and exchanging ideas within our specialized field.

Further down the line, in October, we will once again participate in K 2025 in Düsseldorf, the world’s leading trade fair for the plastics and rubber industry. This major event offers a platform to highlight our advancements and to engage in the critical discussions shaping the future of our sector. While the industry continues to face supply chain pressures, energy challenges, and fluctuating market conditions, we are proud of our ability to adapt and stay resilient. Our commitment to quality, sustainability, and customer satisfaction remains at the core of everything we do. As we wrap up the year, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to you—our customers, partners, and friends. Your support makes all this possible, and we are excited to continue this journey together.

Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a prosperous start to the new year!

Khaled, my good friend, where have you been the past 4 years? How are you today?
Khaled: Hello Krah Community! I am so happy to meet you again after all these years. The Covid period shut us down for a long time, we were waiting for the Abu Dhabi factory to start, we spent 4 years of waiting, now it is running and working, thanks to your people – I want to say a special thank you to all engineers and workers involved. Today, I am working in a different way than I did in the past. My son Mohammed is now taking care of the Saudi factories, I am now taking care of new businesses in Saudi and Dubai, following the vision of our Crown Prince HRH Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud, which is Saudi 2030.

Thank you. Khaled, it seems that something has changed in the Middle East, Dubai is suddenly so green? Also, the government spent a huge amount of money for drainage, why?
Khaled: The Government here allocated 8bn$ for a huge stormwater project. After the unprecedented flooding 2-3 months ago, they are planning to build a stormwater runoff system.

That is a huge amount of Money. Overall, it seems like there is lots of money flowing in Saudi. Khaled, despite we are meeting in Dubai, you said you preferred Abu Dhabi. That’s also where the plant is located. Why is it that way?
Khaled: Abu Dhabi is the capital, that’s where the money is. Where we have a joint venture with XX, one of the big business men in Abu Dhabi, the business situation and the money is simply better than in Dubai, that’s what we believe. [maybe second plant in abu dhabi]

Can you understand why many German companies, especially since Covid, are running away from Germany and are moving to Dubai? Is it a real alternative?
Khaled: The alternative is Middle East – let alone the money and the business possibilities. The future of business, especially the pipe industry, is here. In Saudi, we have the vision of our prince, which will be realized by 2030. Parallelly, we will host the football World Cup in 2034. You as a German will know, what needs to be prepared for that. Saudis take a lot of German companies for these projects, because they are aware of the quality. Also, we have done many things to attract more tourists and raise awareness of the beauty of Saudi. Alone in the Red Sea we have more than 24 islands, 11 of them ready with hotels, spas, and entertainments to welcome tourists and guests. Then there is Neom, one of the biggest projects in the world. Whatever the prince dreams, he makes it reality. Then we have Aquarabia in Qiddiya City, the world’s largest aqua park, one hour away from Riyadh. That’s only a bit of what is to come.

So, all of the strict rules have changed? The country is now open for party amusement? Can I just bring a girl in a short dress to drink alcohol together at the beach for example? Six years ago it took me 6 months to get a visa – without a girl in a short dress with alcohol of course.
Khaled: First of all, it takes 10 minutes online for a visa application. Secondly, you can come with your family, girlfriend, anybody, they can wear whatever they want, but Alcohol is still prohibited. A lot of tourists come here now.

 So you say for us the main market would be in Middle East, what do you think about the production area of Europe, especially   Germany? Now after Covid everything is different in Saudi, it’s booming. What do you think about Germany, as I am a little bit sad   about the location at the moment.
 Khaled: You have to make an office in the Middle East. Saudi or Abu Dhabi or Dubai. You can open a company in 30 minutes. This will give   you more opportunity to grab business here. The business in this area is huge. They companies here will not continue to look for business   partners in Germany or Europe or the US. These companies come here, they all have an office here. Any big company. My advice is you make   an office, bring your employees and we will meet again in 3 years and you will tell me, how your business has grown.

 The biggest market in the Middle East for you in Saudi. What do you think where we should concentrate on?
 Khaled: I will give you a small example. Saudi housing and municipalities have placed a consulting contract by 600bn riyadhs to 6 consultants   for sewage and stormwater. Also we do not forget water desalination plants, power plants, this is for the next 20 years. We are goind to be very   busy with that,

If I were to tell my employees or business partners in Germany that I want to open an office in Saudi, they would think it would mainly be for tax reasons. But your approach is a different one, you’re saying that being close to my customer is what they want, and if we won’t do it, somebody else will. We cannot wait any longer for them to find us or come to us in Germany, but we will have to come to them – the time of travelling is over. Is this correct?
Khaled: Very correct. I will give you one tip: Chinese have their offices here. They produce here and sell all the copies here. Also your machine. Of course the quality is on a whole other level, we do not need to talk about this – but they are here and present. All their equipment worth millions is here. They have bank accounts and employees here. Forget about the old stories. They will have to come, live here and take the world. There is nobody here who doesn’t believe you have the best product. But you are slow. You still think the business is the same like 10 years ago – it isn’t. And this is my advice.

That gives me a lot to think. Thank you for being so open. In Europe, we live in a Work-Life-Balance mode, which is just in Europe I think. We have to change, I cannot wait anymore. Thank you so much for your interview and your time, Khaled.

Krah GmbH, a global leader in large-diameter pipes and infrastructure solutions, has expanded its corporate social responsibility program by sponsoring two exceptional engineering students from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in the Philippines. The scholars, Franchezka Louise Miranda and Cedrick Simbol, were chosen for their academic excellence and dedication to engineering. This partnership with the UST Engineering Alumni Association (USTEAAI) aims to nurture future leaders in the field.

Franchezka Miranda: Building with Purpose
Franchezka Miranda, a first-year civil engineering student, has demonstrated outstanding academic and extracurricular achievements. A graduate of Southern Luzon State University Laboratory School, she has long been passionate about engineering’s role in creating and ensuring safety in society. “This scholarship has brought me closer to my dreams,” she says, crediting Krah GmbH for enabling her to study at her dream university and inspiring her to one day join their innovative team. Franchezka aims to graduate with Latin Honors, pursue advanced studies, and provide for her family.

Cedrick Simbol: Passion for Service
Cedrick Simbol, a second-year civil engineering student, is driven by his Christian faith and a commitment to excellence. For him, engineering is a calling, combining passion and purpose. “The idea that sketches can turn into skyscrapers fascinates me,” he shares. Cedrick views his scholarship as a privilege and a motivation to excel academically, honoring the faith of his benefactors. He aspires to pass the board exams and use his skills to contribute to society, fulfilling his belief that “to study and work is to serve.”

This collaboration between Krah GmbH and USTEAAI underscores the company’s dedication to fostering the next generation of engineers. By supporting Franchezka and Cedrick, Krah GmbH is investing in a future where innovation and service are at the heart of engineering excellence.

Author:
Jeneleen Lansangan

An interview with Dr. Alexander Krah and Dr. Andreas Klippe, also known as „Dr. Flood,“ an internationally recognized expert in flood protection and water management.

Dr. Alexander Krah: Good morning, Andi! I’m very excited to talk to you today about flood protection. You’re known as „Dr. Flood“ and are considered an expert in managing extreme rainfall and water disasters. In your opinion, what is the biggest difference between flood events in Southeast Asia and here in Germany?
Dr. Andreas Klippe: Good morning, Alexander! There are indeed some significant differences. In Asia, temperatures are typically higher, so floods can occur at any time of the year. In Europe, on the other hand, we mainly experience floods during the winter months when it’s cold and freezing. However, in Asia and the Middle East, the temperatures are constantly high—often between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius or even higher. But regardless of the location, floods have the same consequences everywhere: destruction, massive damage to buildings and infrastructure, and people living in fear. In the end, such events destroy not just material values but also people‘s sense of security.

Dr. Krah: That sounds worrying. When I think back to my youth, I feel like there were more floods back then than there are today. Is my feeling deceiving me, or is that actually true?
Dr. Klippe: Your feeling isn‘t entirely wrong. It might seem like we have fewer floods today, but in reality, we are dealing with more frequent and intense flood events now. I think this is a direct result of climate change. Even if you don‘t believe in climate change, it doesn‘t change the facts: it rains more, and the rainfall is more intense. The amount of water falling in a shorter period is much higher than it used to be. That’s what matters—not whether you believe in climate change or not, but whether you are prepared to protect yourself and your environment from these dangers.

Dr. Krah: I completely agree. It doesn’t matter whether climate change is man-made or not—we have to deal with the consequences. This includes unexpected heavy rainfall. I’ve heard that in the Middle East, they’re using a technique called „Cloud Seeding.“ Can you explain what that is and how it works? Could it be dangerous?
Dr. Klippe: „Cloud Seeding“ is actually an interesting technique that has been around for several years. Basically, silver iodide particles are shot into the clouds. These particles act as condensation nuclei, causing the water droplets in the clouds to accumulate faster and turn into rain. The idea is to control the amount of rain and concentrate it in specific areas. But nature isn’t so easily controlled—rain can still fall where you don‘t want it because you can’t control the wind. Countries like the United Arab Emirates are experimenting with this to improve water availability in their extremely dry regions.

Dr. Krah: That sounds like a risky endeavor. When I first heard of „Cloud Seeding,“ I thought it might even be possible to create clouds. But it’s more about using existing clouds to influence the intensity of rainfall?
Dr. Klippe: Exactly, that’s right. It’s about influencing the growth of clouds so that it rains in specific areas and not where you want to avoid it. However, in big cities like Dubai, there’s a big problem: there’s a lot of concrete and not much natural landscape left. Additionally, they often lack adequate drainage systems to quickly divert water. This means that even small rainfalls can quickly lead to major flooding.

Dr. Krah: Another phenomenon I recently read about is called „Omega-3 weather.“ Can you explain what that‘s about?
Dr. Klippe: „Omega-3 weather“ is a term from meteorology. It describes a weather pattern where two low-pressure areas and one high-pressure area position themselves in such a way that they together form the shape of the Greek letter Omega. This constellation often leads to stable weather patterns with a lot of precipitation in a confined area. Even though I’m not a meteorologist, I know as a flood protection engineer that such weather patterns can pose a significant danger.

Dr. Krah: And what about La Niña and El Niño? These terms often come up in connection with extreme weather events.
Dr. Klippe: La Niña and El Niño are climate phenomena that originate in the Pacific Ocean. The terms come from Spanish, meaning „the girl“ (La Niña) and „the boy“ (El Niño). They describe unusual changes in sea surface temperatures and air pressure conditions that can affect weather worldwide. For example, La Niña causes cooler temperatures in the Pacific and can lead to drier weather in South America, while El Niño is associated with warmer water temperatures and heavy rainfall. These phenomena can trigger global weather extremes, such as droughts, floods, and storms.

Dr. Krah: These are really complex connections! When we look at urban planning: how should cities be designed, in your opinion, to better handle flooding in the future?
Dr. Klippe: There are various strategies that cities can use to better prepare for floods. First, we need to install better drainage systems in urban areas—pipes that are large enough to quickly drain large amounts of water. Second, we should build more underground water storage systems to capture excess rainwater. And third, we need modern flood protection barriers and individual protective measures to shield houses and critical infrastructure from flooding. It’s about managing the flow of water and minimizing the impact of floods.

Dr. Krah: That sounds like a comprehensive approach. If someone wants to learn more about flood protection or seek your help, what’s the best way to contact you?
Dr. Klippe: Interested parties can find me through my website www.andreasklippe.com. I’m happy to answer questions and provide advice. Flood protection is a challenge we all have to face, and I’m glad to help.

Dr. Krah: One last personal question: Do you believe we’re on the right track when it comes to flood protection? Should we continue to invest so much energy and resources into this work?
Dr. Klippe: Absolutely. There are moments when it can be frustrating because we often feel like we’re fighting an uphill battle. But we know our work is important. We must continue because natural disasters, especially floods, will continue to increase. People need us, and it is our responsibility to do everything we can to ensure their safety and well-being.

Dr. Krah: Thank you Andi, for this insightful conversation. It was a pleasure!