South Korean electric wire maker Taihan Cable & Solution announced Tuesday that it has completed Kuwait’s first fiber optic cable factory, as the company aims to localize production and tap into the Middle East’s growing demand for 5G network infrastructure.

The factory, a joint venture with Kuwaiti construction and trade company Rank, held its grand opening on Monday local time in the Mina Abdulla industrial area. Equipped with advanced production and testing facilities, the 5,000-square-meter factory will begin full-scale production by the end of this month.

Kuwaiti government officials, including representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, attended the event, along with South Korean Ambassador to Kuwait Park Jong-seok, officials from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency and key executives from Taihan, led by CEO Song Jong-min.

With the global demand for fiber optic cables surging due to 5G expansion, Taihan’s new plant positions the company to meet Kuwait’s rising needs, driven by the country's New Kuwait 2035 development plan. Taihan plans to use this new plant as a springboard to supply not only Kuwait but also neighboring Gulf Cooperation Council countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

“Kuwait’s telecommunications industry will benefit from local production, and we expect Taihan to play a key role in supplying the broader GCC region,” Kuwait’s Undersecretary of Commerce and Industry Ziad Abdullah al-Najem said.

“This new facility strengthens our position in the Middle East and allows us to better meet the rising global demand for fiber optic cables,” said Song.

Following the opening, Taihan executives will travel to Saudi Arabia to review ongoing projects, including its high-voltage equipment production facility there, as part of a broader strategy to expand in the region.