Iconic Saudi projects: Otis marks major anniversaries

Otis Elevator Company, the United Technologies Corp. unit which powers cities skyward and moves passengers up and down structures as diverse as the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building and the Kremlin, celebrates its 160th anniversary with the promise to harness the power of the sun.
Founder Elisha Otis sold his first elevator in 1853, and a year later developed a safety brake designed so that, “if the rope breaks the platform cannot fall.”
Over the past 100 years, Otis, a $ 12 billion unit of UTC, has provided elevators to eight of the 10 World’s Tallest Buildings, including the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and the Shanghai World Financial Center in China, as well as the iconic Empire State Building in New York City.
In Saudi Arabia, Otis is committed to building on its long tradition of serving this important and valued market and is also celebrating a number of important anniversaries here.
As early as 1947, Otis installed its first elevator in the Kingdom in the palace of King Abdulaziz.
Since then the company has continued to be an integral part of the development of the Kingdom’s infrastructure having been involved in some of the key iconic projects across the nation.
This year, Otis is celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the installation of elevators into the King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh (1983), and the 20th Anniversary of the installation of elevators into the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (1993),
“After 160 years, Otis is building on its accomplished past and preparing for the future. We are meeting the challenge of building elevators for today’s skyscrapers with tomorrow’s technology in the Kingdom, all the while with an unwavering commitment to safety, quality and ingenuity,” said Pedro Baranda, president of Otis Elevator Company.
To meet increasing demand and maintain leadership in key areas, such as Saudi Arabia, Otis has announced the opening of three new state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities around the world.
“As countries like Saudi Arabia build the mega cities of the future, Otis will be present to anticipate needs and exceed expectations for technology and service,” said Daryl Marvin, Otis director of innovation.