Capsule, tablet, purified water, metal can and tube production lines for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
Configured for 50/60 Hz power, 45 °C ambient and GCC import documentation.
Equipment procurement in the Gulf rarely follows the European pattern. Projects are usually driven by a distributor, a free-zone trading company or a family-owned group that is building its first GMP facility, and the decision is made on three questions: will the machine pass inspection, will it survive the climate, and will the supplier still answer the phone in year three.
YohoAI has been building pharmaceutical and packaging machinery in Shanghai since 2010, and ships to customers in more than 30 countries. Our machines run in capsule plants in the UAE, tableting halls in Saudi Arabia, water treatment rooms in Qatar and can-making lines in North Africa. Six product lines come from one factory, which means a single purchase order can equip an entire solid-dosage plant instead of chasing five suppliers across three continents.
This page covers what Gulf buyers ask us most often: which machine fits which product, how we handle 60 Hz power in Saudi Arabia, what documentation your regulatory team receives for SFDA or MOH registration, and how equipment reaches Jebel Ali, Dammam or Hamad without surprises.
Every line below is manufactured in our Shanghai plant, CE certified at the machine level, and delivered with GMP documentation. Capacities are the figures we publish on each product page — no inflated numbers.
RG series rotary die machines from 5,000 to 60,000 capsules/hour. Chilled-water cooling is specified for Gulf ambient conditions.
Popular in region: RG-500
NJP series from 30,000 to 228,000 capsules/hour with ±3–5% filling accuracy. Powder, pellet and combination dosing.
Popular in region: NJP-2000
ZP series rotary presses, 19 to 45 stations, 50,000 to 400,000 tablets/hour. Single-punch units for R&D labs.
Popular in region: ZP-35
PW series 250–5,000 L/h, dual-stage RO, conductivity below 1.1 µS/cm. Sized for high-TDS Gulf feed water.
Popular in region: PW-2000
YC series 60–300 cans/minute: two-piece D&I, three-piece and twist-off caps for food, beverage and aerosol.
Popular in region: YC-150
YG series ABL/PBL collapsible tubes, 60–150 pieces/minute, for pharma, cosmetic and personal-care fillers.
Popular in region: YG-120
Two specifications decide whether a machine runs reliably in the Gulf: the grid, and the air around it. Saudi Arabia runs a 60 Hz grid while the other GCC states run 50 Hz, and summer ambient in an unconditioned hall can reach 45–50 °C with coastal humidity above 90%. A machine configured for a temperate European plant will trip, overheat or corrode in that environment.
We ask for the destination country and the site conditions on the quotation, then configure drives, PLC, contactors and cooling accordingly. Where a customer's own standard differs, we follow the customer's electrical specification.
| Market | Grid | What we configure |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 230 V / 60 Hz | 60 Hz drives, motors and timers; SASO/SABER document pack |
| UAE | 230 V / 50 Hz | Standard 50 Hz build, high-ambient panel cooling |
| Qatar | 240 V / 50 Hz | 240 V rated components, anti-corrosion treatment |
| Kuwait | 240 V / 50 Hz | 240 V rated components, dust-rated enclosures |
| Bahrain | 230 V / 50 Hz | Standard 50 Hz build |
| Oman | 240 V / 50 Hz | 240 V rated components, high-ambient panel cooling |
Heat. Electrical cabinets are fitted with panel air conditioners or forced ventilation sized for 45 °C ambient, and hydraulic power packs are specified with a larger oil cooler where the press or encapsulator runs continuously. Softgel lines are quoted with the chilled-water requirement (flow and temperature) so the plant can size its chiller before the machine arrives.
Dust and humidity. Coastal sites see salt-laden air and fine sand. We specify IP54 enclosures as standard on request for Gulf destinations, upgrade to IP65 for wash-down areas, and apply anti-corrosion coating to frames and guards. Stainless contact parts are 316L; painted surfaces use a marine-grade finish.
Feed water. Gulf municipal water is often high in total dissolved solids. When a purified water system is part of the order, we ask for a water analysis and quote the RO membrane array and pretreatment accordingly, so the system reaches its rated output rather than being derated by fouling.
In the GCC, the machine is not the licensed object — the pharmaceutical product and the manufacturing site are. Registration sits with the licence holder: SFDA in Saudi Arabia, MOHAP in the UAE, the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar, and the equivalent authority in each state. What the equipment supplier must do is hand your regulatory team a complete, consistent documentation package so that the registration file and the site inspection do not stall on missing paper.
That package, supplied with every machine, contains:
For shipments into Saudi Arabia we prepare the commercial documents needed for SASO/SABER certification of conformity, and we work with the customer's nominated conformity assessment body. For the UAE, we supply the paperwork free-zone traders need for customs clearance and re-export, including certificate of origin legalised as required.
One clarification we give every Gulf customer up front: we do not sell "SFDA-approved machines", because no such approval exists for equipment. What we sell is a machine that is built to cGMP, documented to the standard an SFDA or MOHAP inspection expects, and backed by a supplier who will answer inspection questions years after delivery.
All equipment ships from Shanghai. We quote FOB Shanghai as standard, CIF to the destination port on request, and DAP for customers who prefer us to handle the inland leg through a forwarder. Machines travel in sea-worthy plywood cases with vacuum bagging and desiccant — a detail that matters when a container sits on a Jebel Ali quay in August.
| Destination port | Typical transit (port to port) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jebel Ali, UAE | 18–24 days | Most frequent sailings; best for re-export via free zone |
| Khalifa, Abu Dhabi | 19–26 days | Direct calls less frequent; consolidation via Jebel Ali common |
| Dammam, Saudi Arabia | 22–28 days | SASO/SABER documents must be ready before vessel arrival |
| Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | 24–30 days | Preferred for western/central plants |
| Hamad, Qatar | 20–26 days | Direct service available |
| Shuwaikh, Kuwait | 22–28 days | Transhipment via Jebel Ali or Sohar |
| Khalifa Bin Salman, Bahrain | 20–26 days | Often via Jebel Ali feeder |
| Sohar / Salalah, Oman | 22–28 days | Salalah on main east-west route; Sohar via feeder |
Lead time. Standard models ship 25–40 days after receipt of the deposit; models built to a customer specification or with non-standard tooling take 45–60 days. Time on the water is not the constraint — document preparation is, so we start the SASO/SABER and legalisation paperwork the moment the order is confirmed.
Payment. 30% T/T deposit with the order, 70% before shipment, against a copy of the bill of lading. Irrevocable L/C at sight is accepted for orders above the threshold agreed at quotation.
Spare parts. Critical wear parts ship by courier from Shanghai in 3–5 working days, and every order can include a recommended two-year spares kit priced with the machine rather than bought later at air-freight prices.
Commissioning is included in the quotation, not sold as an extra. Our engineers travel to site for 7–14 days depending on the line: mechanical installation supervision, utilities connection check, trial batches with your formulation, operator training and handover of the SAT report. Visa processing usually takes one to two weeks, so we start it as soon as the shipping schedule is fixed.
After handover, support runs on three channels: WhatsApp and email for same-day questions, remote desktop access to the HMI for parameter and program issues, and scheduled visits where a customer prefers an annual service contract. Documentation is in English; where an interpreter is needed for operator training, customers normally arrange it locally and we work with them.
Process validation support does not stop at delivery. If a batch fails an in-process check after commissioning, our engineers review the dosing setup, tooling condition and formulation parameters with your team remotely — the same support we give customers running NJP fillers in Europe and Southeast Asia.
Yes. We quote FOB Shanghai or CIF to Dammam, Jeddah, Jebel Ali or Khalifa. We prepare the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin, plus the technical file your conformity assessment body needs for SASO/SABER. Customs clearance itself is handled by your forwarder or free-zone company, and we supply whatever documents they request.
Yes. For Saudi destinations we build with 60 Hz motors, drives and timers, and the nameplate states 230 V / 60 Hz. Because 60 Hz changes motor speed and pump output, we re-check capacities on the quotation rather than assuming 50 Hz figures apply — a purified water system rated 2,000 L/h at 50 Hz is not automatically 2,000 L/h at 60 Hz.
The equipment is built to cGMP, CE certified, and delivered with DQ/IQ/OQ/PQ protocols, material certificates, FAT reports and electrical drawings — the documentation an inspection expects to see. The registration and the licence remain with the product licence holder in your country. We support the file with technical documents and answer inspector questions directly when needed.
Standard models: 25–40 days from deposit to shipment. Machines with custom tooling or a specified electrical standard: 45–60 days. Add 18–30 days of sea transit depending on the port. If your project has a fixed commissioning date, tell us at enquiry stage and we will confirm whether the schedule is achievable before you place the order.
Installation supervision, commissioning and operator training are included in the machine quotation for 7–14 days on site, depending on the line. The customer covers return air tickets, local transport, accommodation and meals for our engineers. We start visa processing as soon as the shipping schedule is confirmed.
Yes — this is our main advantage in the region. Six lines come from one factory, so a single order can cover softgel encapsulation, hard capsule filling, tableting, purified water, metal can and plastic tube production. You deal with one contract, one shipping schedule and one commissioning team instead of coordinating several suppliers.
Spare parts ship by courier in 3–5 working days, and remote diagnostics over the HMI usually identify the fault within a day. For mechanical work, we can send an engineer or work with a local service partner your group already uses. We recommend ordering the two-year spares kit with the machine, since air-freighting a single part later costs more than the kit.
Tell us the product, target output and destination port. We reply with model selection, a 60 Hz or 50 Hz configuration, CIF pricing and a delivery schedule. Our engineers will contact you within 24 hours.