Steelcase and local partner Jeraisy Group will be manufacturing the flagship Node Chair for learning environments at its factory in Riyadh.

It is stated to be the first time a manufacturer has been licensed to produce the Node Chair in the Middle East, a move which will both strengthen industrial capability in the Kingdom and enhance opportunities for fostering active learning environments within the higher education sector.

According to international consultancy and Construction Company Mace, Saudi Arabia continues to invest heavily in education infrastructure projects, with a budget of $229 billion approved in 2015.

These projects include the construction of three universities, major refurbishment and upgrading of existing universities, along with hundreds of new schools and sports centers across the country.

Building upon 25 years of successful partnership between Steelcase and Jeraisy Group, the local production of the Node Chair will help meet product demand in the domestic market and dramatically reduce delivery times. Additional assembly lines being established at the Steelcase-Jeraisy factory to support the increased production volumes will also create new jobs, bringing economic benefits to the Kingdom.

Mohammed Al-Sale, GM for Steelcase Jeraisy Ltd., said: “In line with the vision of the Saudi leadership, Steelcase-Jeraisy is committed to supporting the growth of the education sector. The Jeraisy Group’s ongoing partnership with Steelcase and latest local production agreement will also contribute to the industrial dynamism of the Kingdom by transferring international production expertise to our local work force and increasing our domestic output.”

Andy Morris, sales director Middle East, Steelcase, said: “For Steelcase education, every place has the potential to be a learning place, and this is what our active learning concept is all about. As the Saudi education continues to grow and evolve, we hope more academic institutions will look to Steelcase-Jeraisy to help implement this style of learning.”