Linde boosts GCC presence with Airtec acquisition

Linde, a leading global industrial gases and engineering company, has completed its acquisition of Dubai-based Airtec, one of the largest industrial gases companies in the Middle East

The acquisition, which sees Linde increasing its 49% stake in Airtec to over 90%, enhances Linde's presence across the GCC region, including Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Airtec produces industrial gases for customers across key end markets including energy, healthcare and manufacturing. Linde's integrated business in Middle East includes air separation units, CO2 plants, onsite gas generation facilities, and additional infrastructure to produce industrial, medical and specialty gases. Its industrial gases and technologies are used in the production of clean hydrogen and carbon capture systems critical to the energy transition. The company also delivers state-of-the-art gas processing solutions to support customer expansion, efficiency improvements and emissions reductions. Together with Aramco and SLB, it is developing one of the world’s largest carbon capture hubs in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, due for completion by late 2027, which will have the capacity to capture nine million metric tons of CO2 from Aramco gas plants and other industrial sources.

"Airtec's footprint is highly complementary to Linde's existing business," said Oliver Pfann, Senior Vice President EMEA, Linde. "The acquisition creates a diversified and integrated business that will benefit from significant synergies, while strengthening supply chain reliability and customer service. By consolidating our operations, Linde has also strengthened its owned network density in a region where demand for industrial gases continues to grow."