Qafco
QAFCO is a Qatar-based fertilizer and specialty chemicals producer, the world's largest single-site urea exporter with 5.6 million MT capacity and ~14% global supply share. It serves enterprise agricultural and industrial buyers across 35+ countries through long-term contracts distributed via QatarEnergy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersDoha, Qatar
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Qafco firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Qafco
- Legal name
- Qatar Fertiliser Company (Q.P.S.C)
- Website
- https://qafco.qa
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- QAFCO is a Qatar-based fertilizer and specialty chemicals producer, the world's largest single-site urea exporter with 5.6 million MT capacity and ~14% global supply share. It serves enterprise agricultural and industrial buyers across 35+ countries through long-term contracts distributed via QatarEnergy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Qafco industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nitrogen Fertilizers
- NAICS
- Nitrogenous Fertilizer Manufacturing (325311), Industrial Gas Manufacturing (32512)
- SIC
- Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nitrogen Fertilizers (Ammonia/Urea/UAN) (IMAEAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Nitrogen Fertilizers (Ammonia, Urea, UAN, Ammonium Nitrate/Sulfate) (AFABABAA), Potash Fertilizers (MOP/SOP) (IMAEAEAC)
Keywords
Where Qafco is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Doha
- HQ country
- Qatar
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices2 records
Markets served
Qafco business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Ammonia Production and Sales: QAFCO produces 3.8 million metric tonnes of ammonia annually across 6 world-class plants. Ammonia is sold both as a direct product and as an intermediate input for urea production.
- Urea Production and Sales: QAFCO is the world's largest single-site exporter of urea, producing 5.6 million metric tonnes annually and supplying approximately 14% of global urea demand. Urea is marketed globally through QatarEnergy's trading network.
- Melamine, Urea Formaldehyde, and Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF): Specialty chemical products including melamine, urea formaldehyde resin, and diesel exhaust fluid, produced at the company's Mesaieed industrial complex.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Qafco product offering
Product offeringCore offering
QAFCO manufactures nitrogen-based fertilizers and petrochemicals at a single integrated complex in Mesaieed, Qatar, with annual capacity of 3.8 million metric tons of ammonia and 5.6 million metric tons of urea. Its product portfolio includes ammonia, urea, melamine, urea formaldehyde, and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), exported to agricultural distributors and industrial chemical buyers in more than 35 countries. The company is the world's largest single-site urea exporter, supplying approximately 14% of globally traded urea.
Product overview
QAFCO operates as a diversified fertilizer and specialty chemical producer with 6 world-class plants at a single site in Mesaieed, Qatar. The company operates a multi-product portfolio centered on ammonia and urea as core offerings, supplemented by specialty chemicals including melamine, urea formaldehyde resin, and diesel exhaust fluid. With 3.8 million MT annual ammonia capacity and 5.6 million MT urea production, QAFCO is the world's largest single-site urea exporter, commanding approximately 14% of global supply. The company exports to over 35 countries and is implementing AI-powered process optimization through Baker Hughes to enhance operational efficiency across all facilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ammonia
- Urea Nitrogen fertilizer (granular and prilled urea) produced at 5.6 million metric tons annual capacity and exported in bulk to agricultural distributors and traders in more than 35 countries; QAFCO is the world's largest single-site urea exporter, supplying approximately 14% of globally traded urea.
- Melamine Industrial-grade melamine produced at QAFCO's Mesaieed complex and sold to manufacturers of resins, laminates, adhesives, and engineered wood products.
- Urea Formaldehyde Urea formaldehyde resin produced at the Mesaieed complex and supplied to industrial buyers manufacturing wood-based panels, adhesives, and related construction materials.
- Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) / AdBlue High-purity urea-based DEF (AdBlue) solution manufactured at QAFCO's facility and sold to automotive aftermarket and OEM customers for use in selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems on diesel vehicles.
Quantifiable outcome
- 0.8% increase in daily ammonia production achieved through Baker Hughes AI optimization program
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Qafco
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Qafco technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
Qafco partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Baker HughescoreBaker Hughes and QAFCO implemented an AI-powered operational excellence program using Physics-based AI technologies (Cordant Process Optimization) to optimize ammonia and urea manufacturing. The collaboration achieved a 0.8% increase in daily ammonia production and saved approximately 566 hours of production downtime over two years. QAFCO plans to extend the solution to urea plants and implement Global Site-wide Process Optimization across all facilities by 2027.
- Qatar UniversityminorQAFCO sponsored and presented Best Overall Prizes at the 22nd Annual Chemical Engineering Plant Design Competition organized by Qatar University. Ten teams developed simulation-based grassroots plant designs for LNG, Ethylene, and Dimethyl Ether production processes, supporting education and talent development in chemical engineering.
- Agrico and Yara InternationalcoreQAFCO, Agrico, and Yara International established the Hydroponic Trial and Demonstration Center in Al Khor, Qatar in February 2019 to develop sustainable crop management systems suited for the Qatari climate. The 3,750 sqm center, designed by Agrico, is jointly operated by Agrico and Yara agronomists, with QAFCO providing agricultural analytical support (substrate, water, and leaf testing) from its Mesaieed laboratory. Achieved yields of 33 kg tomatoes per sqm per year — 6x average Qatari productivity.
- QatarEnergycoreQatarEnergy handles global marketing and sales of QAFCO's fertilizers and chemicals worldwide, acting as the commercial agent for QAFCO and other QatarEnergy group joint ventures. QatarEnergy also provides corporate policy oversight and strategic direction as the parent entity.
- Industries QatarcoreIndustries Qatar is QAFCO's parent company listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange. Industries Qatar reported a net profit of QR 4.3 billion for 2025 and oversees QAFCO's operations alongside other industrial subsidiaries. QAFCO's ammonia project is noted as part of Industries Qatar's growth pipeline.
- GPCA (Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association)minorQAFCO participates as a Platinum Sponsor in GPCA Agri-Nutrients Conference and receives recognition through the GPCA Responsible Care Excellence Awards. GPCA is the industry association for the Gulf's petrochemical and chemical sector.
- AFA (Arab Fertilizer Association)minorQAFCO participates in the annual AFA Technical Conference and Exhibition, the premier Arab regional platform for fertilizer industry technology and innovation discussions. QAFCO participated in the 37th edition in Ben Guerir, Morocco.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Qafco competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Yara International: Norwegian-headquartered global nitrogen fertilizer and specialty crop nutrition leader; directly comparable as a producer and trader of ammonia, urea, and specialty nitrogen products, and an actual QAFCO partner at the Al Khor Hydroponic Demonstration Center.
- OCI Global: Netherlands-based global nitrogen and methanol producer with significant US Gulf and global capacity; directly comparable as a large-scale ammonia and urea exporter competing in the same global commodity markets.
- CF Industries Holdings: US-based world-scale nitrogen fertilizer manufacturer producing ammonia, urea, and UAN; direct comparable in scale, feedstock-driven cost curve, and global export orientation.
- Koch Ag & Energy Solutions (Koch Industries): Owns Koch Fertilizer, a major US nitrogen producer (Enid, Beatrice, Dodge City plants) producing ammonia, urea, and UAN; comparable world-scale nitrogen production and export model.
Regional players
- SABIC: Saudi Aramco-controlled petrochemicals and fertilizer producer; Gulf-region peer overlapping with QAFCO in nitrogen chemistry and integrated gas-to-fertilizer value chain.
- Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO): India's largest fertilizer cooperative, a major global urea buyer and domestic producer; comparable in scale of nitrogen fertilizer handling though not a direct Gulf exporter.
- ADNOC / Fertiglobe: UAE-based nitrogen fertilizer joint venture between ADNOC and OCI, producing urea and ammonia from Gulf gas; closest regional competitor with similar feedstock economics and export footprint.
Broad incumbents
- Nutrien: World's largest fertilizer producer with a broad nitrogen, potash, phosphate, and retail footprint; comparable in scale and product mix though diversified across multiple nutrient categories beyond QAFCO's nitrogen focus.
- ICL Group: Israel-based specialty fertilizers, potash, and phosphate producer; broader nutrient portfolio than QAFCO but overlapping on industrial chemicals, melamine, and specialty nitrogen-adjacent products.
- Mosaic Company: US-based major phosphate and potash producer with global distribution; adjacent in crop nutrient space though more focused on P and K than nitrogen, sharing the same agricultural buyer base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Qafco social profiles
Digital presenceQafco compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Qafco financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Qafco leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Qafco funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Qafco M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Qafco
What does Qafco do?
QAFCO manufactures nitrogen-based fertilizers and petrochemicals at a single integrated complex in Mesaieed, Qatar, with annual capacity of 3.8 million metric tons of ammonia and 5.6 million metric tons of urea. Its product portfolio includes ammonia, urea, melamine, urea formaldehyde, and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), exported to agricultural distributors and industrial chemical buyers in more than 35 countries. The company is the world's largest single-site urea exporter, supplying approximately 14% of globally traded urea.
Is Qafco a public or private company?
Qafco is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Qafco founded?
Qafco was founded in 1969. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Qafco based?
Qafco is headquartered in Doha, Qatar, in the Middle East region.
How does Qafco make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Ammonia Production and Sales are the primary driver. The others are urea Production and Sales and melamine, Urea Formaldehyde, and Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF).
Who are Qafco's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Yara International, OCI Global, CF Industries Holdings and Koch Ag & Energy Solutions (Koch Industries). Regional players are SABIC, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) and ADNOC / Fertiglobe. Broad incumbents are Nutrien, ICL Group and Mosaic Company.
Does Qafco have an API?
No public API is recorded for Qafco.
What industry is Qafco in?
Qafco's product category is Nitrogen Fertilizers. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAEAA, Nitrogen Fertilizers (Ammonia/Urea/UAN), with a secondary code of AFABABAA, Nitrogen Fertilizers (Ammonia, Urea, UAN, Ammonium Nitrate/Sulfate). Its NAICS code is 325311 and its SIC code is 2810.