Businessreview Middle East Magazine - February 2016

www.businessreviewmiddleeast.com

February 2016

E XCLUSIV E Interview with HPE’s Regional Director, Middle East & Africa

Khaled Alsaleh

SUPERCAR W Motors’ $3.4m car HEALTHY DECISIONS

King Faisal Specialist Hospital

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Market leaders W E L C O M E T O T H E F E B R U A R Y issue

of Business Review Middle East. And it is a very special issue, as it is the first time we have published the magazine as a standalone title. To celebrate this, we have put together an exciting collection of features and interviews, starting off with our cover story on HPE, looking at how it has become a market leader in the Middle East.

We have an exclusive interview with W Motors’ Ralph Debbas about how his dream of creating the first Arab manufacturer of high performance luxury sports cars has become a reality. And BSO shares its insight on how trading technology is evolving in the Middle East.

We spoke to Cisco in Saudi Arabia, discovering how its Managed Services team provides end-to end business solutions for telecoms companies in the Kingdom and we also feature food, dairy and beverage producer Nadec, looking at its use of the latest technology and supply chain management.

Other leading companies featured in this issue include Urbacon Contracting & Trading and King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre.

Please send your feedback on the magazine to @BusinessRevME on Twitter.

Enjoy the issue!

Lucy Dixon Managing Editor EMEA lucy.dixon@wdmgroup.com 3

CONTENTS

Features

6

LEADERSHIP

W Motors Instant Heritage

Universities in the Arab region TOP 10

TECHNOLOGY

12

Trading technology Shaping the future of financial trading in Dubai 4

February 2016

18

Company Profiles TECHNOLOGY 30 HPE 42 Cisco Systems

HPE

30

54 King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre

King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre

70 Saudi Arabian Airlines

SUPPLY CHAIN 98 NADEC

CONSTRUCTION 114 UCC (Urbacon Contracting & Trading)

42

Cisco Systems

98

ENERGY 126 Jubail Energy Services Company (JESCO)

MANUFACTURING 150 Philips SLC

54

NADEC

70

Saudi Arabian Airlines

Philips SLC

150

114

UCC (Urbacon Contracting & Trading)

5

LEADERSHIP

Instant

heritage W r i t t e n b y : J O H N O ’ H A N LO N

When Ralph Debbas shared his dream to build a $3.4 million car, people said it was impossible: well, he did it, and is now growing a new Arabian industry from nothing 7

LEADERSHIP THE MIDDLE EAST really does not have a car industry at all. Though it’s a great importer, and keeps many of the more flamboyant marques in business – after all Abu Dhabi has the only Ferrari World theme park – it does not make any. Little of the diversification designed to take the Arab economies out of oil dependency is finished goods manufacturing or advanced engineering – for the simple reason that these industries tend to build up over generations in places like the English midlands, the Ohio rustbelt or the region around Pune, India.

Not having got on the automotive bandwagon in the early days of motoring the GCC is tabula rasa. It can’t possibly start the long process of evolution, and no established manufacturer has yet been persuaded to set up a manufacturing project so far from their established supply chain, trained workers and political comfort zone. In 2013 Ratan Tata was talking to Saudi Arabia about making Jaguars and Land rovers there but that idea seems to have been shelved, like many capital projects on hold thanks to depressed oil prices.

Meanwhile entrepreneur Ralph Debbas has been busy finding another 8 February 2016

way. It’s not as if he has been quiet about it, indeed it’s hard to think of a more flamboyant project than the $3.5 million Lykan HyperSport, which his company W Motors has already launched. Only seven were produced, so it is presumably now a classic car, indeed it has already been superseded by the launch at November’s Dubai Motor Show of the Fenyr SuperSport, an even more powerful and faster model but at less than half the price, thanks to a production run of 25 per year.

Thanks to an inspired piece of product placement in Fast & Furious 7, hardly cinéma vérité but an outstanding box office success, the jewel-encrusted Lykan got global attention. Thanks to Debbas’s policy of taking it to 38 major international shows and private events in two years, from Dubai, Beijing and Shanghai to Pebble Beach, Monaco, it also got reviewed by every motoring journalist. This couldn’t be further from the normal industry way of launching a new model. Frankly the car was way over the top, an extreme statement in performance, price, appearance and finish. It’s safe to say that nobody will repeat this, ever.

I N S TA N T H E R I TA G E

W Motors - The Beginning of a Journey

“I come from a family of entrepreneurs so I grew up in an atmosphere of venture and risk�

9

LEADERSHIP

“I have learnt that once you find yourself on the wave you have to ride it”

10 February 2016

I N S TA N T H E R I TA G E

Nobody would dare to, chuckles Debbas. As he talks about his project, however, it becomes clear that he is fully aware of the risks he took and is taking, and that behind the bizarre éclat of the Lykan lies a strategy with a certain unconventional cohesion and logic to it. For a start, he has an interior roadmap. The idea of starting a new industry in the ME came a bit later but his fascination with cars goes back to infancy.

“I come from a family of entrepreneurs so I grew up in an atmosphere of venture and risk – if it doesn’t work tant pis, but at least you tried it. I was lucky enough to have a family that supported me.”

His native Lebanon could offer no automotive design courses, but he had studied graphic design at the American University in Beirut, gravitating towards car related projects and searching out the best training abroad. “I heard Coventry was one of the best schools in the world to offer such a programme.” In 2006 the young Lebanese arrived in the UK’s car industry capital and three years later left with a degree in automotive design from Coventry University.

Time to start at the bottom and learn

the industry? Not for Ralph Debbas.

“I had spent my time in Coventry making contacts in the industry and networking with them at international motor shows so now I started calling them up and telling them I was ready to take things further. That is when I flew into Graz and sat with Magna Steyr and said I am the crazy kid that talked with you two or three years ago.

Now I am ready to build this car!”

It says something about both sides that one of the biggest engineering companies in the world was willing to sign with someone so untried. “We started gathering other partners.

Above all I needed credibility. We had to show people that we have big multinationals working with us.

Getting these companies on board was the biggest challenge.”

Once that was done, he says disarmingly, and a dream team of Magna Steyr, RUF, StudioTorino, Carrozzeria Viotti and a handful of niche partners put together: “It was more straightforward to design the car, build the car, promote it and get a lot of attention directed towards it.”

The idea he had sold them was not so much that of creating a single, ultimate car for the luxury market 11

LEADERSHIP as of reversing into the gap in the Middle East business that none of the global carmakers had the guts to fill.

That Debbas has a confident personality is evident, but he knows his limitations and strengths. The former he overcomes by getting world-class partners – simple – the latter is a natural flair for marketing.

“Creating the brand required a lot of strategic thinking, positioning the brand before unveiling the car itself.

We had to lead with the right foot.”

Launching the most expensive car in the world at the height of a global recession definitely attracted attention. As did its claim to be the first ever Arab car. Engineered in Austria and Italy, styled in-house in Dubai and built in Italy it has very little Arabian content, he admits, but that’s not the point: “It has the Arab flag on it, to say we are coming, we are building it through the Arab nations, which is unprecedented.”

That is the message highlighted by the futuristic design, the improbable performance figures and of course the bling. “Everything about the car had to shock people into taking notice. That is why today W Motors is the most talked about brand of 12 February 2016

“We are offering a lifestyle; the ultimate private members club!”

I N S TA N T H E R I TA G E

the 21st century. Everyone is talking about it because they are shocked!”

Frankly there are not many places where a car with a top speed of 245 mph and a 0-62 mph time of less than 2.8 seconds is much practical use. The fastest track it runs on is the road to brand recognition, says Debbas. “What we did in the short term was the start of a very long-term project. My goal is to create a brand that will last 100 years. To put W Motors onto the world automotive industry map.”

The Lykan HyperSport and now the Fenyr SuperSport do not in fact positon W Motors as an automotive brand. With these products it aligns more with luxury brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton or Patek Philippe. “We are offering a lifestyle; the ultimate private members club! This is what made it so special and attracted the attention of certain people,” he says.

With that in

mind, the plan to open W Motors showrooms in very major markets in the world and to have distribution networks in China, Singapore, the USA, Canada, Latin America, Europe and of course the ME during 2016 makes sense. These will be lifestyle boutiques as much as anything but they will pave the way for the cars, not so much the supercars, as the next generation of W Motors vehicles.

In April 2016 W Motors will launch at the Beijing Motor Show a car that could almost be said to be mass produced, a competitor for existing models, and that can finally be sold as manufactured in the UAE. It’s still a supercar, the fastest SUV in the world by quite a long way, but starting at a mere $250,000 it will be accessible to the moderately rich, and the production rate will be around 100 a year.

Now it is time to build the industry, says Debbas. “We are already building our factory here in Dubai, the first of its kind in the region.” Production will start next year at the 55,000 square metre facility, housing R&D labs alongside upholstery, electrical and mechanical workshops and the production lines for supercars, SUVs, and a 13

LEADERSHIP sedan model that is on the stocks.

“It moves the company gently away from the hype and addresses the many real world issues of establishing a new industry in the Arab world. The building itself is designed to have a low environmental impact, be energy efficient, and is linked to a hydroponic farm that grows crops over a longer season and using up to 70 percent less water than conventional methods.

Unlike Coventry or Detroit, the UAE has no automotive skills to call on locally. In tandem with the new factory, W Motors is establishing its own design school. “This is the first automotive design school the region has seen. It’s not enough just to build a car or a factory. I want to teach people what I learned so that future generations don’t feel they have to go to England or the States but can also learn the skills in my country, in my region.

“That is really the main target of all I am doing here. There’s plenty of talent, and a thirst to learn just like I did.” Graduates from the W Motors Academy of Design will be the pioneers of an indigenous industry, he hopes, and the Academy will start to branch out into the Emirates. At 14 February 2016

the same time, W Motors itself will graduate from being solely a vanity brand and start to be accepted as an automotive manufacturer in the style of Ferrari or Bentley.

It’s a bit hard to see how the economics of the organisation work, but Ralph Debbas explains that W Motors is a holding company with each activity contained in a separate subsidiary. That way investment in car production, the factory, the

I N S TA N T H E R I TA G E

school etc is ring fenced. “Our business model is different from any other company,” he says.

“The trend for entrepreneurs today is to build a company in the short term then hope to be bought out by a big name. Taking risk on and sticking with it is not something you see every day. But I have learnt that once you find yourself on the wave you have to ride it. Once you believe in it the world will go with you!”

Don’t be afraid, he concludes, either of success or of failure. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,” said Eleanor Roosevelt, and Ralph Debbas has taken that as his motto. He’d like to show the way for entrepreneurs, and not just in the Arab world, to temper the standard elevator pitch with some real vision.

W Motors it has already provided a case study of how that can work.

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Trading Technology W r i t t e n b y : M I C H A E L O U R A B A H, CEO of BSO Net work Solutions

Shaping the future of fin 16

February 2016

TECHNOLOGY

nancial trading in Dubai 17

TECHNOLOGY THE EVIDENCE WAS everywhere at this year’s FOW Dubai Conference – technology was definitely one of the chief concerns for most attendees.

The Middle East is changing dramatically, partly in response to the global financial community’s demand for direct, higher performance connectivity into local stock exchanges. Organisations from across the world consider Dubai a gateway to other emerging marketplaces. Commodities, currencies, hydrocarbons and equity indices are all being shaken up by new network routes and trading platforms.

The influence of the UAE now stretches from North Africa to Southern Asia, from the Caspian to Johannesburg. Many of these countries and financial exchanges are some of the fastest growing in the world. At the centre of this growth is Dubai.

According to the think-tank Z/Yen, Dubai’s ranking amongst international financial centres rose seven places this year. It now occupies 16th place alongside some of the strongest economies in the world, a trend that is likely to continue over the coming years.

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February 2016

Leading from the front Alongside investments in transport, energy and industrial systems, the region is starting to deregulate its telecommunications landscape.

One of the first organisations to take advantage of this trend was the Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX), the operator of the Middle East’s leading derivatives exchange. We work closely with the organisation to provide its own clients with ultra-low latency connectivity to other strategic financial hubs, such as London, Chicago, Mumbai and Singapore. This also includes optimising network routes to support DGCX’s growth expectations.

TRADING TECHNOLOGY

“Alongside investments in transport, energy and industrial systems, the region is starting to deregulate its telecommunications landscape”

The global economy’s drive towards High Frequency Trading (HFT) – the complex automated algorithmic trading systems that drive many modern financial exchanges - can be seen first-hand with DGCX. HFT traders expect transactions to move in the blink of an eye and profits are made or lost on the speed with which transactions can be completed.

Therefore, investors want their trading infrastructure to be as close to the exchange as possible and DGCX delivers those capabilities.

Furthermore, Dubai’s proximity to established markets in Europe and the Eastern coast of the United States naturally complements the access

– Michael Ourabah, CEO of BSO Network Solutions

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TECHNOLOGY it provides to high-growth Asian markets – a winning combination that has seen even more impressive growth in recent months.

Some of the network latencies to and from DGCX demonstrate just how crucial the exchange is on the worldwide stage. For example, BSO’s round-trip connectivity from Dubai to Frankfurt is 103 milliseconds (ms) and London is 112ms. Mumbai, one of the world’s strongest urban economies at the moment, has latencies of just 28.4ms between

Dubai and if you consider that Chicago is now only 194ms away, it quickly becomes apparent why traders are so keen to tap into the region.

Seeing is believing A greater desire for transparency is also leading to notable growth.

Newly appointed CEO, Gaurang Desai, announced in August that DGCX had recorded a two-year high as heightened market volatility boosted trading on the exchange.

Desai said: “Our FX Futures and

“Whilst network connectivity is clearly having a significant impact on Dubai’s attractiveness as an investment location, a host of other disruptive technologies also promise further change” – Michael Ourabah, CEO of BSO Network Solutions

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February 2016

TRADING TECHNOLOGY

LONDON Equinix LD4/LD5

DUBAI DGCX

Market Data Connect: The stable, robust route with the lowest reliable latency from London to DGCX bullion products are attracting more traders than before as they seek safety in trading and hedging in a well-regulated and transparent electronic platform like DGCX. This is validated by the fact that the Exchange has witnessed a 20 percent increase in member participation since January 2015.”

In October 2015, this was reinforced by the announcement that year-todate volumes were up 29 percent year-on-year. This was assisted by the newly launched India Gold and Silver Quanto futures contracts, which had provided significant traction among the bullion trading community. This led to DGCX’s highest October monthly

volumes alongside emerging market equity index contracts that have ensured a robust hedging mechanism in times of global market volatility.

While network connectivity is clearly having a significant impact on Dubai’s attractiveness as an investment location, a host of other disruptive technologies also promise further change. These include new software-as-a-service products, block chain and machine learning, all of which are expected to affect the futures trading business.

From both a technical and macroeconomic point of view, Dubai and the Middle East are certainly ‘the onesto-watch’ in the coming months.

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TOP 10

Universities in the Arab region

Research by TopUniversities.com judges these institutions based on nine criteria including reputation, standard of faculty and student diversity, to establish the high quality of the following institutions Wr i t t en by: N E LL WA LK E R 23

TOP 10

10

Jordan University of Science and Technology (Jordan) Score: 74.2

JUST, established in 1986, operates with a view to produce highly-qualified graduate professionals. It is the most culturally diverse university in Jordan, and number one in the country for its scientific accomplishments. It is also the only Jordanian university to be listed amongst the top 50 universities in the Islamic world, with an internationally-recognised, awardwinning faculty and up to 25,000 students at a time. www.just.edu.jo

Photo copyright: JUST

Cairo University (Egypt)

Photo copyright: Cairo University

Score: 79.5

CU is considered the ‘mother’ university amongst younger Egyptian institutions. Supporting a massive 250,000 students, the university – established in 1908 – is dedicated to developing unconventional methods of teaching across its 26 courses, covering various scientific disciplines and developing fresh systems of academic research. www.cu.edu.eg 24

February 2016

09

UNIVERSITIES IN THE ARAB REGION

Photo copyright: Unioversity of Jordan

07

American University of Sharjah (UAE) Score: 86.1

With a heavy focus on education and science, the AUS has risen to prominence in a very short time since 1997. The standard of education has been compared to that of the finest universities in America, embracing free-thinking and cultural diversity. All classes are conducted in English, allowing for students of many nationalities to join the 6,000-strong body. www.aus.edu

08 University of Jordan (Jordan) Score: 79.6

Beginning in 1962, UJ is a forward-thinking establishment which leans upon less traditional teaching methods and interactive teaching techniques. It supplies more than 3,500 different courses to 38,000 students, and boasts many esteemed members of the Jordanian community on staff. www.ju.edu.jo

Photo copyright: Basil D Soufi

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TOP 10

06

United Arab Emirates University (UAE) Score: 88.6

The UAEU is the number one research facility in the Gulf Cooperation Council, with 14,000 students, nine colleges, and a host of international faculty. Its academic programmes are developed with employers, meaning that graduates leave in high demand.

In 2009, UAEU had the first PhD programme at a national United Arab Emirates university.

Photo copyright: United Arab Emirates University

www.uaeu.ac.ae

American University in Cairo (Egypt) Score: 90.4

The premier English-language institution for higher learning in the region, the AUC has a focus on the social, political, and cultural life of the Arab world. It boasts the largest English-language library collection in Egypt, with a teaching focus on the liberal arts. It is an independent, equal-opportunities university, with 7,000 students and a further 16,000 students enrolling each year in non-credit courses www.aucegypt.edu

05

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February 2016

Photo copyright: American University in Cairo

UNIVERSITIES IN THE ARAB REGION

03

King Abdulaziz University (Saudi Arabia) Score: 93.4

KAU offers specialist courses to its 82,000 students, including geology, nuclear and medical engineering, meteorology, and aviation. Established in 1967, this institution is considered a pioneer in the education of Saudi woman as male and female sections were inaugurated at the same time. www.kau.edu.sa Photo copyright: King Saud University

04

Photo copyright: King Abdulaziz University

King Saud University (Saudi Arabia) Score: 97.6

KSU is the oldest university in Saudi Arabia, founded in 1957 and opened to woman in 1961. As with other Saudi universities it has its own campus for women, and a centre for the progress of female students. It also offers disability services to anybody among the 36,000 student body that requires it, and most impressively of all, there are no tuition fees. Arabic students are required to know some English, and international students must pass an Arabic language test during application. www.ksu.edu.sa 27

TOP 10

American University of Beirut (Lebanon)

02

Score: 99.4

The AUB, founded in 1866, is a teaching-centred university with its roots and educational style based on the American liberal arts model of higher education. It teaches the importance of free thinking, expression, and creativity within its 50 percent male, 50 percent female 8,000-strong student body, offering more than 120 courses. www.aub.edu.lb 28

February 2016

UNIVERSITIES IN THE ARAB REGION

King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (Saudi Arabia) Score: 100

KFUPM was established by royal decree in 1963, becoming a university in 1975 and now enrolling up to 8,000 students at a time. It is rated five stars by the esteemed education and study company Quacquarelli Symonds, and ranks highly in its approach to teaching, research, and innovation.

It also offers advanced training for furthering postgraduates’ careers. www.kfupm.edu.sa

01 Photo copyright: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

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The grow Written by: Nye Longman

wth of enterprise Produced by: Stuart Shirra 31

H E W L E T T PA C K A R D E N T E R P R I S E

Having recently split from Hewlett Packard, HPE is combining its world-beating solutions with extensive local knowledge to strengthen its position as both a regional and global innovation leader

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February 2016

W

hile Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) only split into a separate business company at the end of 2015, the business is already proving that the massive decision was not only forward-thinking but was also financially and operationally sound. While retaining its already strong commitment to the quality of its staff and technology, not to mention its competitive operational strategy, HPE is looking to build on its position in the enterprise space to become a true global leader. We speak to Khaled Alsaleh, HPE’s Regional Director for the Middle East and Africa about how he is leveraging his knowledge of the local markets to aim the company in the completion of this goal regionally.

Operations HPE’s innovative technology solutions and services can be found in some form or other in most if not all of the Fortune 100 companies across the globe, which is why such a wide variety of African

TECHNOLOGY

and Middle Eastern industry leaders trust the company with handling their enterprise solutions. In the Middle East specifically, the company works with government, defence, telecommunications, oil and gas, hospitality, healthcare, finance, manufacturing and retail companies. With the capabilities to service a diverse range of industries, it is little wonder that HPE is being tipped to bring in $53 billion in revenues this year.

To summarise its offering to businesses must by necessity be an exercise in brevity – suffice to say that HPE covers everything from data protection, optimisation and analytics, to support, education and financing.

Alongside an expansive range of software products, HPE also provides networks, servers, storage and integrated systems.

Alsaleh explains the rationale behind the separation: “By separating into two industryleading companies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP Inc. will focus on the markets they serve while also being more agile, nimble and responsive to current and prospective customers. Both companies will build on HP’s 75-plus year legacy of adapting and innovating cutting-edge www8.hp.com/emea_middle_east

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H E W L E T T PA C K A R D E N T E R P R I S E

250k Number of jobs to be supported

by HPE

34

February 2016

technologies to support the customers they serve and deliver maximum value to our shareholders.�

Being more agile as an independent company, HPE has even more room to adapt to the everchanging technology landscape and even has this embedded into its customer-facing strategy, as Alsaleh explains: “It is imperative that we adapt to the changing environment. As a business, our focus now is on helping companies make the most of technology to benefit their customers

TECHNOLOGY

and employees by successfully navigating through what we see as the Idea Economy.

“In essence, the ability to turn an idea into a new product, business or industry has never been easier or more accessible and companies need to be well placed to take advantage of this. To help businesses achieve this, our strategy is focused on areas that we believe companies need to utilise in order to compete. These areas of the market represent an estimated total addressable market of more than $1 trillion, so there’s a lot of opportunity for us to grow and improve our business.

The right skills for the job In order to fully realise both the regional and global visions for the development of the new company, Alsaleh and his management teams are working hard to ensure that HPE is made up of

“In order to fully realise both the regional and global visions for the development of the new company, Alsaleh and his management teams are working hard to ensure that HPE is made up of a satisfied, well-educated and well rewarded workforce” – Khaled Alsaleh, HPE’s Regional Director for the Middle East and Africa

www8.hp.com/emea_middle_east

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H E W L E T T PA C K A R D E N T E R P R I S E

Khaled Alsaleh Regional Director, Middle East & Africa Hewlett Packard Enterprise Khaled Alsaleh serves as the Regional Director of Hewlett Packard Enterprise in the Middle East and Africa region. He is leading the HPE software portfolio of solutions and services, managing ICT businesses transformation, creating visions for the new style of business and building strategies with effective GTM approaches for sustainable revenue growth.

He enjoys more than 17 years track record of successful execution working closely with public and private sectors across industries/countries in the region, and mapping the worldwide corporate values/goals to geography-based markets and industry-specific trends. He joined HP in 2013 as the Country Manager of HP Software in Saudi Arabia, and was promoted late 2014 to his current role. He has held leadership positions at multi-national companies such as Oracle, Computer Associates and others.

Khaled holds a Bachelor Degree of Information Systems from King Saud University, and he is an MBA candidate in Warwick Business School in the UK. He is a Member of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), Saudi Telecoms Society (STS), Global Telecoms Mini MBA Alumni, and he is a Fellow of the UK Institute of Sales and Marketing Management (ISMM).

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February 2016

TECHNOLOGY

a satisfied, well-educated and well rewarded workforce, he says: “Certain roles in our business require very specialized skills and we’re competing for a limited pool of talent in certain markets. This makes retention absolutely critical.

“At HPE, career growth is an important retention tool. We follow a well-defined Career Development Model where the employee is the main driver in exploring and deciding what’s next, the manager supports and HPE enables the career growth within a very dynamic and changing business environment.”

Recognising the transformative power of technology, the company has created its own online learning resource known as Accelerating U, which is an all-in-one portal containing virtual colleges and a host of materials covering both hard and soft skills. HPE also has a network of physical training centres across the Middle East and Africa, so that a variety of learning styles can be seamlessly addressed.

Alsaleh’s own appointment was done in light of the positive difference he could make to the skillset and ethos of the company. His role as Regional Director covers managing everything from the entire portfolio of solutions and services, managing ICT businesses transformation, creating visions for the new style of business and building strategies with effective GTM approaches for sustainable revenue growth.

It was therefore essential that the right appointment had the experience and educational www8.hp.com/emea_middle_east

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H E W L E T T PA C K A R D E N T E R P R I S E

“Over the next five years our aim is to generate growth and longterm value for our shareholders and customers.

And we’re already making good progress with this having successfully delivered a second consecutive quarter of constant currency revenue growth in Q4 2015” – Khaled Alsaleh, HPE’s Regional Director for the Middle East and Africa

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February 2016

background honed over many years of execution in a variety of roles. Alsaleh has a proven track record of over 17 years working closely with public and private sectors across a variety of industries and territories.

He joined HP in 2013 as the Country Manager of HP Software in Saudi Arabia, and was promoted late 2014 to his current role. He has held leadership positions at multinational companies such as Oracle, Computer Associates and others.

Responsible growth strategy HPE occupies the unique position of having a long history of operations while simultaneously coming to the market as a new company. While a seemingly ambiguous position, the company has its eyes set firmly on the future as Alsaleh explains: “Over the next five years our aim is to generate growth and long-term value for our shareholders and customers. And we’re already making good progress with this having successfully delivered a second consecutive quarter of constant currency revenue growth in Q4 2015.

“We also hold the number one of two position in many of our key markets which demonstrates the strength of our business.

We’re uniquely positioned to be the most

TECHNOLOGY

www8.hp.com/emea_middle_east

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H E W L E T T PA C K A R D E N T E R P R I S E

$52.107 billion Revenue for 2015 40

February 2016

trusted partner and deliver this for them and by doing that we can make sure we deliver value for our customers and create a better business.�

Underwriting the company’s long term commitment to its employees, customers and shareholders is its dedication to operating in an environmentally sustainable way – an operational commitment that companies the world over are discovering not only saves emissions, but often time, money and materials. The company takes a serious look at its water, greenhouse gas emissions and waste and continually strives to minimise

TECHNOLOGY

its impact across its supply chain, as well across the entirety of its product portfolio.

HPE’s operations in the Middle East and Africa combine the best aspects of a globally leading IT technology company with years of experience in innovation with local knowledge and market-relevant expertise required to compete regionally. Having simultaneously an illustrious history and a clean slate for the future, HPE is positioned to become a regional powerhouse and will surely set the pace of innovation in these markets for many years to come.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise International Saudi BV King Fahad Rd, Al Faisaliah Office Tower, 5th floor, PO Box 67280, Riyadh 11596, Saudi Arabia T: +966-12-827-429 E: raymund.alindayu@hpe.com

www8.hp.com/emea_middle_east

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Leading the digital transformation Written by: Lucy Dixon Produced by: Stuart Shirra

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CISCO SYSTEMS

Cisco Systems in Saudi Arabia delivers a portfolio that unlocks enormous potential for its customers, as Business Review Middle East Reports

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February 2016

C

isco in Saudi Arabia has an impressive market share when it comes to networking.

That isn’t surprising when you consider the wide range of solutions that the company can offer to clients – proving end-to-end IT solutions for businesses. Cisco in Saudi Arabia has demonstrated a solid performance year-onyear fueled by customers being more aware of the critical role ICT transformation is playing across all market sectors. Working with IT leaders like Cisco ensures customers and strategic partners the very best return of investment when it comes to leading technology solutions and services, a robust and secure network infrastructure and innovation.

Cisco Services delivers a portfolio that unlocks potential for its customers. All over the world, companies and governments are embracing the need for digital transformation. Cisco started up in the Middle East in the late 1990s and has offices across the region as a whole, including the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Bahrain and Egypt. Khalid Hussein, Director of Global Services Provider – Advanced Services, is leading the Services Organisation in KSA. He is responsible for expanding the services portfolio of Cisco in Saudi Arabia and has been with Cisco for six years, having spent 26 years working in the technology industry, including time at other top multinational vendors.

Cisco Advanced Services in KSA, led by Hussein, plays a vital role in Cisco’s ability to deliver technology solutions that solve its

customers’ most complex challenges. As we pivot to a digitised world, Cisco is accelerating the transformation of Advanced Services to ensure it is prepared to lead its customers through this critical business model transition. It has built a sustainable business model that has enabled long-term customer engagement and partnership.

Hussein says that today’s customers demand that their IT platform is in good hands while they focus on opportunities and challenges resulting from the accelerating pace of technology evolution. Cisco offers accelerated agility, higher ROI and risk mitigation through a choice of delivery and consumption options designed to meet varying needs, budgets and environments.

Cisco Services is the solution for those customers: “It’s a rich portfolio that spans over all kinds of solutions engagement whether specific to a deliverable, project, turn-key solution, advice, preventive, proactive, or operate and manage.

500 Number of employees at Cisco Systems

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We set trends to be the partner of choice by committing to excellence.

Established in 1984, Emircom is a leading system integrator. Emircom is headquartered in Abu Dhabi and has offices in Dubai and KSA. With a slew of successful infrastructural projects under its belt, Emircom today is well on its way to taking it’s place at the high table as the leading IT partner in nation building.

Data Center

• Converged Network & Unified Computing • Virtualization & Cloud Computing • Data & Storage Convergence • Data Center Infrastructure Management

Abu Dhabi PO Box 34895 Tel + 97126449088 Fax +97126455288

www.emircom.com

Security

• Database & Application Security • Network & Endpoint Security • IS-GRC Practice • Database, Application & Network Security Audits • VAPT Services • Perimeter Security

Collaboration

• Immersive Solutions • Video Collaboration • Video Intelligence • Internet of Things (IoT) • Mobility & Wireless • Unified Communication • Web Conferencing • Digital Signage

Dubai PO Box 114299 Tel + 97144357610 Fax + 97144357617

Services

• Managed IT Services • Design & Consultancy • System Integration & Migration • Assessment, Audit & Optimization • Project Management • Trainings

Riyadh PO Box 301964 Tel +96614629250 Fax +96614621803

enquiry@emircom.com

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The major franchise that Cisco Services in KSA is focused on is Managed Services,” says Hussein.

The Managed Services team focuses on building long-lasting associations with key clients, as Hussein explains: “We look at longterm relationships with them, operating and managing their IT platform with clear SLAs and KPIs. That enables Cisco customers to achieve their business priorities, operational excellence and the cost optimisation while delivering best-of-class services to their end-users.”

Husam Atout, Regional Services Sales Manager, adds: “As a result of globalisation and increased complexity of the global business landscape, companies in Saudi Arabia are moving to smarter and readily achievable solutions to address issues such as cost-cutting and to focus on their core competencies. Cisco Services has proven their capabilities to offer a wide range of services linked with strong capabilities on the ground to address customer needs. In my area of responsibility with the Services Provider landscape, we, as Cisco GSP Services KSA, managed to penetrate on different key franchises in the Managed Services and we believe we stand ahead of the game with other IT Managed Services Providers.”

In order to develop these essential strong relationships, Cisco has built the portfolio enriched with multiple tools and processes linked with strong alliances whether local or multinational companies and operations. In addition, it regularly makes acquisitions of other w w w. c i s c o . c o m

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CISCO SYSTEMS

MeaTech Group with decades of experience operates in the fields of Telecom & IT Services , Finance, Catering, Travel & Tourism, Contracting, and logistical support for multinational companies to operate in KSA.

CEO: Anas Al Mofleh Middle East & Africa for Technology, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia P.O . Box: 22823, Riyadh, 11416. KSA Tel: +966 (1) 466 0035, +966(1) 4660078 | Fax: +966 (1) 466 4086 Email: info@mea-tech.com

Trusted advisor in the world of workforce solutions

ManpowerGroup is the world leader in innovative workforce solutions, connecting human potential to the ambition of business. Combining global reach with local expertise, ManpowerGroup partners with clients to accelerate their business by providing the people and services that raise the quality, productivity and efficiency of their total workforce. www.manpowergroup.ae | info@manpower-me.com

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companies if they can strengthen and broaden its offering to clients. “You will see acquisitions within Cisco globally, and this kind of acquisition enables Cisco to provide expanded solutions to customers related to meeting customer expectations and evolving with their traditional planning of business,” Hussein adds.

Adapting through acquisitions is one way that Cisco stays ahead of the game, says Hussein, but far more significant is the way it has transformed the mindset towards clients and anticipating their needs. He says: “I think one of the main changes I have seen in my time at Cisco is the evolution that we have been driving for the past two years, which is to be more customer relevant and be outcome based. Thinking more of system integration, taking a step ahead to be a service provider to the service providers, this means that you go and provide a turnkey –integrated solution, include Cisco and non-Cisco solutions in what you are offering. And we ensure that we are the one that is driving the delivery of this solution”

“I think one of the main changes I have seen in my time at Cisco is the evolution that we have been driving for the past few years, which is to be more customer relevant and be outcome based” – Khalid Hussein, Director, Advanced Services

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CISCO SYSTEMS Understanding what the customer wants is clearly crucial here, as Hussein explains: “We need to be more customer relevant by talking the customers’ language, feeling the customers’ priorities and driving it to our solutions. We are listening more and more to the customer as well, ensuring we can be agile and help the customer to achieve their main business objectives.”

To do this, Hussein says, along with the recent evolution Cisco is driving, his team is transforming the way they interact with customers to think more widely about their customers on the different dimensions. He adds: “We always think when we propose a solution about what

Knowledge Into Practice SIGMA IT ® has been successfully offering a wide range of IT solutions available at the pick and call of our business partners. We work with organizations of every size and from all sectors based on our consistent promise throughout all business relations “Endless focus on delivery of unmatched client satisfaction” We understand that your business is an ongoing request for reliable expertise and proven experiences, backed with concrete knowledge to achieve your corporate objectives. We can help through our integrated chain of services that covers all and every requirement, starting from skilled resources deployment and up to consultancy services: • Scope-based Professional Services • Time-based Professional Services • IT & Management Training Services • IT & Management Consultancy Services KSA Office Address: Olaya Street, Akaria 3,Entrance 13, 5th Floor, Office 509, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Tel: +966 11 2150100 | sales-ksa@sigma-it.net Qatar Office Address: Level 14 Commercial Bank Plaza, West Bay, Doha, Qatar.

Tel: +974 44528910 | sales-qa@sigma-it.net Egypt Office Address: Al-Seraj Mall, Building 1, Entrance 2, 10th Floor, Office 105, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt. Tel: +202 22704198 | sales-egy@sigma-it.net

www.sigma-it.net

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is the customer’s total cost of ownership, what would be the ROI, what and how would help the customer to achieve their business objectives.”

Unsurprisingly, one of the main objectives of Cisco’s customers is to keep costs down. “We need to help them achieve cost optimisation alongside operational excellence. So this is what we want to drive, we want to be help them to build the road map for longer term, and achieve it in a more cost-effective manner.”

Hussein’s team at Cisco Services is delivering to key services providers in Saudi Arabia, Saudi Telecom Company (STC) , Mobily and Zain.

It consists of over 500 experts ranged from junior engineer or project manager to Services Delivery Executives. He says: “There are different categories, different levels of expertise, and different kinds of jobs and skills that are required, because our service delivery expands over wide portfolio. We’re talking about from a very junior level of engineer or project manager up to the service delivery executives, expertise from fresh graduates to those with 25 years of experience. My team is segmented and led by different Services Delivery Executives and Managers who are driving day-to-day services business” Cisco Services looks at talent development as a key driver to be distinguished while delivering w w w. c i s c o . c o m

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“We need to help them achieve cost optimization alongside operational excellence. So this is what we want to drive, we want to help them build their own long-term road map and to be part of it.

– Khalid Hussein, Director, Advanced Services

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best-of-quality services. So it has developed a prestigious services internship programme in Saudi Arabia where it attracts highly-talented fresh graduates and enrols them for a comprehensive one-year programme. Hussein explains: “We put them on a one-year training road map, which has technical, project management, on-job, soft and business acumen skills training, to build a solid baseline via achieving technical certifications and project management experience as well. And then we put them on the field, so they’re ready to take on assignments moving forward.”

Buthayna Al-Wehaibe, Services Engagement Manager, the first Saudi female CCIE in Cisco KSA, says: “I’m honoured to be given the chance to prove my capabilities as a Saudi female when I joined Cisco more than seven years ago. I found Cisco Services is the place where talent can develop in a speedy and effective manner. Cisco has extended to me all needed support to play a vital role in Cisco GSP Services Leadership team driving business growth. One of the key elements that I believe for a young graduate at the time I joined Cisco, is to find the right environment and culture that can support to build the right career.”

Looking to the future, Hussein is confident that the changes in the way his team operates and

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its approach to developing partnerships with key clients will definitely help keep Cisco at the very top in Saudi Arabia, despite the economic pressures that the low oil price is causing. He says: “The room for growth is always there, but I think what is happening today in the market, at least in the Middle East when the economy is slowing, there will be a bit of a slowdown in certain market segments while still require delivering the bestin-class of service to the end users.”

But, he says: “The growing role of cloud and virtualisation solutions is one of the major trends, which is expected to boost the growth potential of the market. Private cloud solutions enable better security and improve control of critical data and business operations.

In addition, the shortage of talented IT professionals is a key challenge faced by the market.

The management of certain operational processes requires a significant level of knowledge of the business environment in which the client operates. The analysts forecast the Managed Services market in Saudi Arabia to grow at a CAGR of 22.60 percent over the period 2014-2019.” w w w. c i s c o . c o m

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Healthy decisions Written by Nye Longman Produced by Craig Daniels 55

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The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre is transforming the patient experience in Saudi Arabia using a variety of technological strategies

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he King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is exploiting cutting-edge technology in order to usher in an unprecedented change in both staff and patient behaviour, while simultaneously bolstering its capacity as a business unit. Various strategic initiatives have not only brought about in-house improvements, but have also seen the institution receive both local and international recognition.

Operations At the heart of the KFSH&RC’s operations are five core values which consist of teamwork, compassion, integrity, and quality, as well as an

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unshaking commitment to the needs of its patients.

While patient-centred medicine is not a particularly new topic, its intersection with tech trends such as big data, smart technology and IT systems is certainly off the beaten track. CIO Osama Alswailem, MD MA explains: “We are trying to help patients and staff adapt to information technology by redesigning and re-engineering workflows with the goal of providing better patient care.”

KFSH&RC’s first Hospital was established in the Kingdom’s capital Riyadh in 1975 with two further facilities later established in Jeddah.

Across its operations, KFSH&RC employs 14,200 staff, including 1,226 physicians and 3,875 nurses, serving 1,308 beds. The facilities provide the highest quality care across 18 departments, a range of specialisms which includes everything from oncology and cardiology, to ophthalmology and clinical nutrition.

Knowledge-sharing and teaching are key experiences for clinical staff at the Hospital, where there is an emphasis on educating the public to be more health conscious and to take as much responsibility for their treatment as possible. Its internal training and development department supports life-long skill development and learning, as well as a specialised 18-month long ‘future leaders’ training programme.

Key Personnel

Osama Alswailem Chief Information Officer

Osama AlSwailem holds the position of CIO and is an accomplished medical and IT professional with extensive experience in medical informatics and information technology. In addition to this role Alswailem is Assisstant Professor of Medical Informatics at AlFaisal University in Riyadh where he shares his knowledge and experience with some of the brightest young minds in the medical field.

A new breed of CIO Alswailem’s role as CIO itself is indicative of a sea change in the industry and, while not a total w w w. k f s h r c . e d u . s a

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WELCOME TO THE

Internet of Everything Every day, the Internet of Everything grows exponentially.

Millions of devices and people are connecting, developing ideas and solutions that are the first of their kind. But these firsts are only truly interesting for the lasts they create. The last traffic jam.

The last product recall. The last blackout. These are what motivate us, because we know big things are never achieved by thinking small. And those big things start here and now. www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/industries/healthcare.html

Cisco Systems, Saudi Arabia, Abraj Atta’uneyya Building (NCCI Tower) 11th Floor, North Tower, P.O. Box 295200 Riyadh 11351 Tel: +966 11 218 2600 | Fax: +966 11 218 3103 | www.cisco.com

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Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. At Cisco customers come first and an integral part of our DNA is creating long-lasting customer partnerships and working with them to identify their needs and provide solutions that support their success. The concept of solutions being driven to address specific customer challenges has been with Cisco since its inception. Cisco is shaping the future of the Internet by creating unprecedented value and opportunity for our customers, employees, investors and ecosystem partners.

Information about Cisco can be found at www.cisco.com For on-going news, please go to www.newsroom.cisco.com

TECHNOLOGY Data Center in the HITA Building at KFSH&RC Riyadh

break from the past, represents a happy meeting between old and new. As a qualified MD by profession, he is one of very few physicians to move from treating patients to overseeing the technological wellbeing of an entire institution.

He says: “In 2014 the Healthcare Information Technology Affairs (HITA) department was formed through unifying the Informatics and Technology divisions. It has been a very challenging and rewarding journey from a Physician to a CIO. “I believe healthcare CIOs play a more vital role compared to other corporate sector counterparts.

It almost goes without saying that an unplanned outage or mishap can have greater consequences - thus the CIO has to always ensure each node is treated as though it is a lifeline, directly or indirectly. CIOs in healthcare aren’t just technically competent but require greater foresight and vision as to the impact each decision has on patient health and also continuum of care.”

“I believe healthcare CIOs play a more vital role compared to other corporate sector counterparts.

It almost goes without saying that an unplanned outage or mishap can have greater consequences thus the CIO has to always ensure each node is treated as though it is a lifeline” – Osama Alswailem, CIO

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Build A Cost-Effective, Optimised IT Solutions By Choosing The Right Technology Partner Total Technical Triangle (3T) has managed to rapidly grow a significant portfolio of loyal customers and is proud of being a major IT provider to KFSH RC. Total Technical Triangle (3T) views its customers as partners and works together intelligently to insure their needs.

www.3tsa.com/new

The nature of our various partnerships illustrates the depth of our commitments.

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TOTAL TECHNICAL TRIANGLE Total Technical Triangle, known as 3T, is one of the leading IT infrastructure company in Saudi Arabia. 3T was established in 2005 as part of Midis Group, ever since it is constantly increasing technical and project implementation capabilities, in order to deliver groundbreaking technologies and services with the best of IT Vendors to its customers.

Through a wide range of highly specialized services, encompassing tailor-made IT infrastructure, security, and automation systems, 3T guarantee you a more agile, efficient, and profit-making company, while ensuring you optimal visibility, security and control of information.

“Developing reliable, leading IT services that will add value at each and every stage of the business development cycle and that will have a direct and a long-term impact on customers’ bottom line” 3T ensures you a full service that covers all aspects of IT infrastructure, and offer solutions, such as: • Data center preparation for medium to large enterprises • Virtualization and cloud computing solutions • Business continuity and disaster recovery solutions • IT operational and administration solutions • Network and communication solutions • Office facility management systems • Edge and endpoint security solutions Tel: +966 11 4734005 Email: info@3tsa.com Website: www.3tsa.com/new

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Technological edge Alswailem explained that the function of technology within the Hospital (and his role as CIO) was shifting from a set of processes quietly humming away in the background to becoming an irreplaceable tool for both patients and medical professionals alike. He says: “Historically, the focus with IT was mainly just to keep the lights on and provide simple support functions. What this has evolved into we call ‘Health IT’ whose success we are now publishing in a number of medical journals.”

“Technology has become integrated in our lives and the impact cannot be ignored. It has become the driver for what healthcare facilities are trying to achieve, whether through medical equipment, efficiency, quality, or improving patients’ experience and care.”

“The hardest part has been having to balance that with the physician-patient experience. The human interaction and touch is still much needed and desired in healthcare; having to build technology around that has been one of the biggest challenges.

You never want to keep the physician busy entering and gathering data where the patient feels ignored or feels secondary to healthcare systems.”

Taking patient engagement seriously, the Hospital has integrated a range of wearable devices with patient electronic medical records (EMR) so professionals are able to track and monitor an individual’s glucose, blood pressure and weight remotely. This has given physicians more data to work with, and has enabled them

King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre

‘Alongside integrating this focus operationally, the hospital is currently commercialising its expertise, and already runs the IT systems of a nearby private hospital, with a goal to become a national innovation leader in the next few years’

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Microsoft is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

For more information, please visit www.microsoft.com/en-sa

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to meet pre and post-surgery requirements. This has reduced the number of trips that patients need to make to the hospital, saving them and physicians precious time. Following the success of implementing wearable technology in this way, Alswailem and his team are looking at a more sophisticated, hospital-wide rollout.

He said: “Patient experience is becoming an increasingly important subject these days.

Everybody’s talking about the need to engage and empower patients to become engaged with the healthcare process. Most of the healthcare activity is happening outside the four walls of the Hospital and active patient engagement has to be insured; the patient has to have the tools and the collaboration to have this capability. The diabetic biro gives an example – patients now only need to see their physicians once every six months.”

KFSH&RC received its Healthcare Information

14.2k Number of jobs to be supported

by King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre

A view of the Server Room in the Data Centre (HITA Building)

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KING FAISAL SPECIALIST HOSPITAL & RESEARCH CENTRE Opposite: HITA Building at KFSH&RC Riyadh - In addition, HITA has 2 other office locations in Riyadh at the Disaster Recovery Building and MSSB. HITA offices are also located in Jeddah.

and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Stage 7 accreditation last year based on its adoption of the Electrical Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM). Not only is the Hospital at the highest stage of integration, its ambulatory service is the only outfit outside of North America to have reached this level.

Ever since the institution first realised the vital difference that adopting cutting-edge technology could make; becoming a leader in this aspect has been a top priority for KFSH&RC. Alongside integrating this focus operationally, the Hospital is currently commercialising its expertise, and already runs the IT systems of a nearby private hospital,

Connecting health and care in the Middle East for nearly three decades Congratulations to King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre for achieving the first HIMSS 7 Ambulatory outside North America.

cerner-me.com Š 2016 Cerner Corporation

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with a goal to become a national innovation leader in the next few years. This is supported by a number of universities in the KSA, as well as strategic partnerships with global technology leaders such as Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, Cerner, Avaya and Oracle, as well as regional partners such as T3.

Under Alswailem’s supervision, KFSH&RC has proven that technology can impact positively on patient care beyond the boundaries of its facilities, whether used by the patients themselves or its teams of highly trained healthcare professionals. Having developed expertise never before seen in the region, the Hospital has been able to use its knowledge and influence towards the advancement of patient care.

‘Taking patient engagement seriously, the hospital has integrated a range of wearable devices with patient electronic medical records (EMR) so professionals are able to track and monitor an individual’s glucose, blood pressure and weight remotely’

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Flying high Written by: Lucy Dixon Produced by: Craig Daniels

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HQ in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabian Airlines’ ambitious plans for growth would not be possible without an innovative approach to technology

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tarting out with a single airliner back in 1945, Saudi Arabian Airlines has grown to one of the world’s leading airlines, with over 30 million guests served by 45,000 employees in 5,000 locations across 100 destinations. And unlike many other airlines, the national carrier operates around the clock.

Codenamed SV2020, the airline has a fiveyear strategic plan that aims to double the fleet size by 2020, grow the airlines’ market share, re-invent its products and services and increase its margins. The strategy was formulated and introduced by Director General Engineer Saleh

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bin Naser Al Jasser - who joined the airlines in late 2014- to transform the company in every sense and to further secure its competitive positon regionally and globally as well. Eng. Al Jasser has started a corporate wide transformation program aimed at turning it from a legacy carrier to a competitive travel provider with second to none products and services.

Pivotal to its place on the global stage is the role of information technology. Muhammad Ali Albakri, the company’s CFO and CIO, has been in charge of an enormous overhaul of its IT

Saudi Arabian Airlines aims to double the fleet size by 2020

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SUPPLIER PROFILE

EMC

EMC is a global leader in enabling businesses and service providers to transform their operations and deliver information technology as a service (ITaaS). Fundamental to this transformation is cloud computing.

Through innovative products and services, EMC accelerates the journey to cloud computing, helping IT departments to store, manage, protect and analyze their most valuable asset — information — in a more agile, trusted and cost-efficient way. We work with organizations around the world, in every industry, in the public and private sectors, and of every size, from startups to the Fortune Global 500. Our customers include global money center banks and other leading financial services firms, manufacturers, healthcare and life sciences organizations, Internet service and telecommunications providers, airlines and transportation companies, educational institutions, and public-sector agencies.

Website: saudi.emc.com

SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES

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‘While we put in the new systems, we needed to maintain the old technology, the old network and the old applications, to continue supporting our business. So it was more like changing the wheel or the tire on a Formula 1 car while it’s still racing’

division, as he explains: “We have undertaken a huge programme called the IT Masterplan for Saudia, which lasted from 2007 until 2013.

During that time we spent in excess of $1 billion upgrading our entire network inside the Kingdom and internationally. We’ve put in a complete new infrastructure in terms of telecommunications, connecting all our offices around the world to our upgraded data centre, our partners’ data centers, and created a disaster recovery centre as well on the other side of the country. We have created a modern IT base and implemented a converged network for data, voice and video, serving all the locations, all the offices, all our operations for the airlines and the other sister companies in Saudia Group as well.”

And while all this was taking place it was, of w w w. s a u d i a i r l i n e s . c o m

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SUPPLIER PROFILE

HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE

Hewlett Packard Enterprise is an IT organization that helps its clients to develop more rapidly. With the most comprehensive technology and service portfolio in the IT industry, ranging from cloud to datacenter to workplace application, we support our clients worldwide to create more efficient, more productive, and more secure IT. Website: www.hpe.com 80

February 2016

SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES

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course, paramount that Saudia’s customers received the same fantastic service they were used to. Albakri says: “We replaced about 480 different enterprize application systems and while we put in the new platforms, we needed to maintain the old technology, the old network and the old applications, to continue supporting our business. So it was more like changing the wheel or the tyre on a Formula 1 car while it’s still racing!”

It was a particularly complex undertaking never tried on that scale before in the aviation industry as the airline doesn’t have any down time, unlike European and American airlines which have night curfews. “We operate 24/7, which is a unique business model in aviation.

Because of the diversity and the size of the Kingdom, and the amount of guests that we

The new luxurious interior of the Boeing 777 for optimum guest convenience

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Sabre Airline Solutions Gives You The Freedom To Fly The Way You Want Sabre is proud to be a leading technology partner for Saudi Arabian Airlines, with many years of successful partnership. Sabre’s technology is powering the business of Saudia in Sabre Airline Solutions and the Sabre Airline Solutions logo are trademarks and / or service marks of an affiliate of Sabre.Š2015 Sabre Inc. All rights reserved. 10140 0915

commercial and operational areas and is helping Saudia better market and sell its products, provide superior service to its customers and stakeholders and conduct its operations in the most effective way. We look forward to continuing to serve the needs of Saudia and support its continued growth and success as a leading carrier in the Middle East and the world.

SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES

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‘All seats are equipped with special monitors that may reach up to 23” in some aircrafts. A remote control will provide you with complete flexibility for your personal entertainment during the trip.’

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carry and the extent of our domestic networks, we have to carry on operating around the clock to be able to meet the demand.”

Time wasn’t the only challenge for Albakri’s team in implementing such an ambitious upgrade.

At the same time as integrating all the new platforms, Saudia also decided to restructure the entire IT division. He explains: “We set it up as a shared service provider for Saudia Group, so we reorganised and restructured the entire organisation. We acquired all the niche technical skills and competencies we needed to have this division really perform its activity as a shared service provider based on servicelevel agreements with the various business units. So by transforming IT, not only from a

‘Innovation requires time, investment and patience.

You cannot consider it as a project; you’ve got to let these people have their own time’ Saleh bin Naser Al Jasser, Director General Engineer

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Clear skies ahead Enhancing the customer experience while improving profitability is the goal of every airline around world. That’s why today’s visionary flight operators like Saudi Arabian Airlines partner with Jeppesen to deploy the latest technologies into their operations.

We thank Saudi Arabian Airlines for their unwavering partnership on this journey toward innovation. We wish them only clear skies and tailwinds.

Boeing Commercial Aviation Services partners with airlines around the world to provide them a competitive edge by solving real operational problems, enabling better decisions, maximizing efficiency and improving environmental performance – creating intelligent information solutions across the aviation ecosystem. Jeppesen is a Boeing company.

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Loyalty lounge for business and first class guests

technology point of view but also the business model, we managed to set the division up to become a commercial provider for the group.”

But technology does not sit still, Albakri acknowledges, so the transformation within the IT division is ongoing. “In our business we finish one cycle and then have to start another one,” he laughs. “Technology changes and trends change. And making ends meet in an airline is really very challenging so we can’t afford to have IT be a major cost contributor to the operating costs, so we continuously look for ways to improve our efficiency and improve our costs and deliver better products, and advanced products to enhance our guests experiences, improve our products and services, increase our revenues, optimize our operating costs

$$$ Saudia spent hundreds of millions of dollars upgrading its entire IT infrastructure

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SITA IS THE WORLD’S LEADING SPECIALIST IN AIR TRANSPORT COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Airlines, airports, aircraft, ground handlers, governments, air cargo, aerospace, air navigation service providers and international organizations all use our information and communication technology (ICT) solutions, relying on SITA’s expertise to keep the wheels of the industry in motion.

INNOVATION Community Innovations AIRCOM Flight Tracker ATI Cloud iTravel Mobile App eAircraft Services

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Tel +41 22 747 6000 Fax +41 22 747 6110 Web www.sita.aero E-mail info@sita.aero – info.meia@sita.aero

SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES

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and add true business values to the airlines.”

And employing the right staff is a big part of delivering this, from attracting bright young minds to providing the appropriate training. Albakri says: “First of all, you have to create the ecosystem for it, you have to acquire the young educated minds, inspire them and create the environment so they could really come up with innovative solutions.” This is assisted by partnerships with our strategic technology partners so that Saudia can take the latest and greatest technological breakthroughs (i.e disruptive technologies) and see how could they be applied to the business.

“Innovation requires time, investment and patience. You cannot consider it as a project; you’ve got to let these people have their own time. You have to let them think. So we attract

Muhammad Ali Albakri - CIO and CFO

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Over 750 professionals of culturally aware workforce

Successfully delivering complex and large scale IT projects to over 150 enterprises

2nd largest IT Services and Solutions company in the Saudi Market

6 offices and a network of various channel partners covering the rest of the region

EJADA is a leading IT services & solutions provider in the Middle East & North Africa enabling enterprises in banking and finance, telecommunication, transportation, health, government and oil and gas sectors to maintain their competitive edge in today’s dynamic market.

Tel +966 (11) 4722277 | Fax +966 (11) 4724772 info@ejada.com | www.ejada.com Head Office, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, P.O. Box 55471, Riyadh 11534

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STUEPCPHL N Y OCLHOAGI N Y

the best and the brightest from universities from within and outside the Kingdom and we put them through very generous training programmes, some of them extend to two to three years, and we provide them with the necessarily environment to be able to produce and be contributing members of the Saudi Arabian Airlines Group.”

And these opportunities are not restricted to male employees, as Albakri explains: “We made the decision about eight or nine years ago really to introduce more and more women into our workforce in IT. For instance, our SAP Centre of Excellence is half staffed by young Saudi ladies who have been trained and certified to work with SAP technologies, our entire IT helpdesk is now run by women. And we are expanding our team for mobile and tablet development, with a large number of female staff.” The brightest staff – men and women – are recruited and retained by this impressive approach to staff development, says Albakri.

“The benefits that we offer, the continuous training, the challenges and exciting types of programmes or projects that they are involved on really makes the job very attractive for them to

‘We made the decision about eight or nine years ago to introduce more and more women into our workforce in IT’

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AIRPORT TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATORS FOR THE 21st CENTURY OUR SERVICES

ABOUT US ICAD is the leading provider of airport integration services in the Middle East. Our areas of expertise include: Information and Communication Technology Systems, Passenger Processing Systems, Air Traffic Control Systems, Security and Safety Systems, Special and Ancillary Systems, Building Controls and Automation Systems, Lighting Systems, and Passenger Boarding Systems.

With our highly expertise team we are proficient of delivering the even most complex multiple-system and multiple-vendor installations with the best competitive edge technology requirements to a highest level of standars and expectations starting from engineering, design, installation, commissioning, operation and including maintenance. With our sophisticated in house testing and pre-staging facilities before on site installation and integration, we maintain our reputation by completing the projects on schedule.

ICAD Headquarters | Sary Road and Khalidiya Street | Building Jeddah 101, Floor 7 | PO Box Jeddah 117188 | Jeddah, KSA-21391 www.icad.com Telephone: +966-12-616-6771 Fax: +966-12-616-6773 E-mail: info@icad.com

Amadeus is a world-class technology company dedicated to the global travel industry

Amadeus provides the technology which keeps the travel sector moving.

Our ambition is to facilitate the entire travel journey from door-to-door and in the process improve the travel experience for hundreds of millions of people every year.

Let's shape the future of travel

We are proud and honoured to be Saudi Arabian Airlines’ main strategic partner for airline IT and distribution services. Amongst other key IT Amadeus solutions, Saudia is using the Amadeus e-Retail online airline booking system, the world’s most widely-used airline Internet booking engine, as well as the Amadeus Altéa Suite, a complete Passenger Service System that offers full reservation, inventory and departure control capabilities.

You can follow us on:

AmadeusITGroup amadeus.com

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© 2015 Amadeus IT Group SA

Our people, technology and innovation are dedicated to working with our customers and partners to shape the future of travel.

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TECHNOLOGY

stay on, and we of course do everything possible in our ability to make the job more like a career choice, to nurture their skills, and satisfies their personal development goals thereby securing a more productive and stable workforce..”

A talented and committed workforce means that Saudia is well positioned to achieve its plans for growth. And to kick things off, the airline has acquired 50 additional new aircrafts to strengthen its domestic and regional capabilities and added more wide body aircrafts for the long haul routes (i.e. Boeing 777-300 & Boeing 787-9). Saudia will be taking its first delivery of the Dreamliner in February 2016 at the same time as celebrating its 70th anniversary.

Albakri says: “The aviation business is continuously changing and the Dreamliner is a very sophisticated aircraft. We call it a flying data centre actually by itself as it has more technology embedded into that aircraft than any other aircraft made by mankind.” So, naturally, the role of IT has extended to accommodate such an aircraft, in order to take full advantage of it and ensure proper operation, maintenance and support of the aircraft and its guests. He continues: “The Dreamliner is continuously connected to ground based systems, it’s continuously communicating the status of the engine, the status of the various components of the aircraft, to the ground systems to monitor and advise crews with information to help operate the aircraft more safely and with added conveniences to its guests. And then it

The interior of the Boeing 777

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SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES Logopdf.pdf

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SAP is the world leader in enterprise applications in terms of software and softwarerelated service revenue. Based on market capitalization, we are the world’s third largest independent software manufacturer. SAP has more than 263,000 customers in 188 countries and more than 68,800 employees – and locations in more than 130 countries.

SAP Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is recognized as one of the fastest growing markets for SAP globally and is a key investment area for the company. It has a complete portfolio of business solutions from ERP to Analytics and from Business Intellegence to Mobility and now moving everything into the cloud. Today, the company has more than 1200+ customers and continues to build capacity across the eco system with more than 1400 qualified SAP consultants and 132 business partners to support.

For more information please visit our website www.sap.com/MENA or email us at info.mena@sap.com

IT Services Business Solutions Consulting

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is providing additional services that couldn’t be provided before, to guests, such as continuous connectivity to the internet, continuous ability to use their own devices and favourite content.

There is a lot of sophisticated technology that this type of fleet is bringing with it, and we have upgraded our capabilities to work with it aiming to enhance our guests’ experiences .”

The Dreamliner will be used on Saudia’s long haul routes, to Europe and Canada, and some of the Far East destinations will be supported as well. And it is just one of 110 new aircraft that will be integrated into operations totally by 2020 - 28 of those new aircraft will be received in one year – 2016. Such growth is needed for the airline to reach the 50 million guest goal by 2020. Albakri says: “The region where we exist and we operate

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Saudia Guests Services Center (CTO)

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is the fastest growing region so far as aviation is concerned, the largest number of ordered aircraft worldwide is coming from the region, the largest percentage growth of airlines in the world is happening in the region, the largest travel hubs exist in the region such as King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) and King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) both of which are going through massive upgrades by adding new terminals to KKIA and totally rebuilding KAIA. So we exist in a very blessed region in terms of the business, in terms of growth, but also it comes with a very heated competition. So we have to

TECHNOLOGY

“The region where we exist and we operate is the fastest growing region so far as aviation is concerned”

continuously renew and advance our products and services and make sure that we stay as close as possible to our guest expectations, to be able to grow and capture our market share.”

And none of this would be possible without the right infrastructure, as Albakri concludes: “Nothing would be possible really without having the right intelligence systems to be able to turn the company around very fast and enable it to absorb that many new aircraft and doubling the number of guests in a short period of time. It just would not be possible without the right technology in place.” w w w. s a u d i a i r l i n e s . c o m

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Vertical

excellence

Written by Nell Walker Produced by Dennis Morales

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NADEC

How vertical integration has aided NADEC’s rise to agribusiness prominence

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he National Agricultural Development Company – known as NADEC – is one of the largest share stock companies in the agricultural and food processing sector of the Middle East and North Africa. The Saudi Arabian company was established in 1981, with 20 percent owned by the government and the rest publically traded on the Saudi Stock Exchange, and is now among the leading food, dairy, and beverage businesses in the region.

NADEC’s success is in part due to its vertically integrated business model which is one the largest such dairy systems in the world. It means that the end to end value chain is owned and controlled by NADEC, which makes life simpler for Graham Burne, General Manager of Supply Chain.

S U P P LY C H A I N

“We’ve grown from an agricultural business,” Burne says. “We grow our own crops, which feed our cows that supply over 1.5 million litres of milk and juices a day to our huge factory operations. We have full control and we know what kind of quality systems we’re using, rather than having to rely on a suppliers that could potentially be unreliable. Having control in the supply chain is key to our success.”

Vertical integration has helped NADEC to become one of the cheapest raw milk suppliers in the world, simply because it has no need to outsource to other businesses, allowing the supply chain to move as smoothly as possible. As important as full vertical integration is in terms of setting

7000 Number of jobs supported

by Nadec

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1981 The year the company was founded

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NADEC apart from others, Burne says the most significant element of the company is, quite simply, quality: “We ask ourselves ‘Is that product great quality? Is it safe for the consumer? Does it taste better than our competitors?’ For us, those are the defining things that make consumers choose our product and not the product sitting next to it.”

Managing such a large supply chain requires extreme focus and Burne is a firm believer in setting key performance indicators (KPI’s) to manage the essential activities on a day-to-day, month-to-month basis: “We look at our performance from a KPI point-ofview, and then for me it’s about developing capabilities. Focus on people, people, people; that’s how you drive performance and really get the expertise you need. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”

Burne oversees the flow of R&P materials into the factory operations, picking up the finished products from the end of lines and putting them through both our primary and secondary distribution networks. “We have very close cooperation with our dairy farms and manufacturing colleagues. It’s a real team effort considering the size of the milk supply and production operations and the volumes they produce and handle each day.

Our CFR performance is world class at 99.8 percent and this can only be achieved by careful planning and daily synchronization

S U P P LY C H A I N

between all departments across our value chain. Of course our procurement teams must also receive great credit for ensuring the necessary R&P materials are continuously available at the right time, price and quality.”

Ashraf Abu Shaqra, General Manager of Industrial Operations is equally focused on delivering to the highest standards, and plays in integral role to ensure the manufacturing facility and operations are run to the optimal efficiency delivering the freshest product on time, with the right quality and the right costs.

Shaqra comments: “NADEC Industrial is one of the largest facilities in the world, having three plants capable of a throughput capacity of over 2 MLT per day; the products are spread over 200 SKUs in nine categories.

The plants are all ISO certified, equipped

‘People, people, people is how you drive performance and really get the expertise you need. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it’

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SUPPLIER PROFILE

TETRA PAK Tetra Pak is the world’s leading food processing and packaging solutions company and one of the largest suppliers of packaging systems for milk, fruit juices and drinks. Working closely with our customers and suppliers, we provide safe, innovative and environmentally sound products that each day meet the needs of hundreds of millions of people in more than 170 countries around the world. With more than 23,000 employees based in over 80 countries, we believe in responsible industry leadership and a sustainable approach to business. Our motto, “PROTECTS WHAT’S GOOD™,” reflects our vision to make food safe and available, everywhere.

We are committed to making food safe and available, everywhere. Our commitment extends far beyond protecting the contents in a package.

It also includes supporting our customers’ businesses, a responsibility to reduce our environmental footprint and shape a better future for all our stakeholders—from our employees, to our suppliers and the communities in which we operate. Today, we are the only international company in the world able to provide integrated processing, packaging and distribution line and plant solutions for food manufacturing. This means that our customers enjoy the advantage of being able to get multi-product solutions from a single source, with matching equipment at every stage.

Our environmental commitment is embedded in every aspect of our products’ life cycle – to enable our customers and us to achieve sustainable, profitable growth and to do our part in protecting our precious natural resources.

Website: tetrapak.com/protection

NADEC

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with the latest processing and filling technologies worldwide which are able to deliver the best quality product at all times.”

The growth of NADEC in the past several years has put a huge burden on industrial operations to seek high-capacity production units and automated solutions. Investment in state-of-the-art technologies and the building of highly-skilled resources to operate the sophisticated machines was coupled with intense planning to improve productivity and efficiency. “Lean programing and advanced tools were deployed with detailed tracking systems to measure the development of a high-performance organisation.

“With more tailored production serving diverse markets, diverse consumers, and ever-expanding territories, the operation will be inevitably stretched for more dynamic flexibility and proactive planning.

For NADEC to maintain its leadership

‘We have full control and we know what kind of quality systems we’re using. Having control in the supply chain is key to integration’

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FACTS ABOUT

NADEC NADEC’s seven dairy farms hold 65,000 cows The two processing plants produce 1.5 million litres of milk and juices per day The lab runs 8,000 quality control tests per day

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position, its industrial engine needs to continuously adapt to keep up with market innovations and world class performance.”

Another area of NADEC’s supply chain that requires careful planning is the large primary distribution operation which covers over 40 million kilometers a year, delivering fresh and time-sensitive products to over 30 sales depots across Saudi Arabia and the GCC countries. “We must be slick, efficient and effective with this operation,” says Burne. “Any delay impacts on the freshness we offer our consumers, and any operational deficiencies can impact the quality of the cold chain which must remain intact throughout the product’s journey.”

Technological advancements are an integral part of this fast-growing company.

Burne says: “We have an enterprise resource planning platform which we will be utilising more in the future. We’ve recently automated our demand and supply platforms, and we’re looking to fully integrate a warehouse management system into our operations.

It’s fair to say that the roadmap is fairly busy as we look to continuously develop our operations and link automation to

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How we build innovation for beverage and dairy industry Sipac and Emmeti offer innovative solutions and complete “turn-key� installations for beverage, dairy and chemical industry.

Sipac S.p.A., Via Berettinazza 25 43010 Fontevivo, Parma, Italy Tel. 0039 0521 611811 Fax. 0039 0521 611850 E-mail: sipac@sipac.pr.it Website: www.sipac.pr.it

Emmeti S.p.A., Via G. Galilei 9 42027 Montecchio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy Tel. 0039 0522 861911 Fax. 0039 0522 861912 E-mail: emmeti@emmeti-spa.it Website: www.emmeti-spa.it

S U P P LY C H A I N

key areas within our supply chain. We’re going to be quite proactive in this area.�

Agriculture is the cornerstone of the company, complementing its aim of increasing self-sufficiency and dependability for the national economy. NADEC produces onions, potatoes, fruit, olives, wheat, corn, alfalfa, dairy and juices, and nutritious animal fodder for the cows across thousands of acres of land in Haradh, Wadi Al-Dawasser, Hail, and Al Jouf. Its seven dairy farms hold around 65,000 cows between them, and the two processing plants produce over 1.5 million litres of milk and juices per day.

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NADEC formats to suit different consumer needs and occasions. NADEC also has its own labs on site led by experts in nutrition and quality, who run over 8,000 tests per day to comply with the relevant industry and government standards. The company has achieved many international accolades thanks to its pursuit of perfection including ISO 22000, Ceres award and the most recent being a highly rated quality certificate from the BIOL 2015 awards.

In terms of its continuous improvement strategy, NADEC has adopted many different means of developing the smooth-running of the company. “We adopt some Kaizen, Lean Six Sigma and ISO-type principles, so we are always benchmarking ourselves through

S U P P LY C H A I N

‘We are always benchmarking ourselves through different accreditation bodies to make sure we’re continuing industry best practice.’ different accreditation bodies to make sure we’re continuing industry best practice.”

NADEC has big plans to develop its current portfolio, adding new products and even new categories under the NADEC brand while maintaining its reputation as a trusted, selfsufficient company. “In terms of our portfolio expansion, we’re always looking to grow in areas of dairy and juices which are the core of our business, but we are expanding into a broader food business with the launch of several new cheese and olive oil products over the last 24 months. We continue to develop our innovation pipeline with a range of product extensions including new juice flavours, cheese products and even creating new segments like the very successful launch of NADEC Ayran: a light, refreshing dairy based drink for the local market which is proving highly successful and is targeted at a new and younger audience. We will continue to develop our innovation capabilities to meet the ever-changing needs of the market place and our objective of becoming a major food-based business, helping the country with self-sufficiency in food.” w w w. n a d e c . c o m . s a

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Constru

Written by: Lucy Dixon Produ

ucting Qatar

uced by: Jordan Platten

UCC (URBACON CONTRACTING & TRADING)

In just five years, UCC has become one of the leading construction companies in Qatar, working on high-profile projects across the country

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rbaCon Trading & Contracting Company LLC, also known as UCC, is a Qataribased international construction company with over 30 years of experience, building everything from highways and bridges to luxury residential and hotel projects. The company was founded in Syria back in 1983, by Mohamad Raslan Al Khayyat when it was known as Al Khayyat Contracting and Trading (KCT).

The founder’s son, Moutaz Al Khayyat, is the current CEO and he explains the company’s ethos: “At an early stage, the company vision was to ‘Build Trust’ and this vision has been inherited by UrbaCon Trading and Contracting (UCC) who, while being formed in Qatar in 2011, has a legacy of experience to build on. We are based in Qatar but with operations ongoing within the GCC, USA, Europe and Asia.”

Since it was set up in 2011, UCC has experienced remarkable growth and its strategy

CONSTRUCTION

going forward is to continue on this path, while further diversifying into different markets. Al Khayyat explains: “UCC continually looks to see how it can strengthen its procedures and subsequently its performance, whilst having a strong emphasis on quality, safety and productivity. As a group, we are already quite diverse with companies engaged not just in construction, but also in facility management, hospitality, shipping, restaurants, clinics, retail, real estate, cargo, travel, manufacturing, farming and farm products. We continue to invest into various business sectors based on market analysis. Within the construction sector we are expanding now into the oil and gas field together with major infrastructure.”

One of the high-profile projects that UCC has been involved with is the Mall of Qatar, which is a challenging design and build of a 550,000m2 project, which engaged every facet of the group’s

2011 The year UCC was founded

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U R B A C O N I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Spectra Arts offers specialized glass solutions for the local fabrication and installation of decorative and architectural glass works for the exterior and interior of a building with techniques that include: • Stained Glass • Etched and Carved Glass • Fused Glass • Painted Glass • Printed Glass • Laminated Glass

• Tempered Glass • Curved/Bend Glass • Fire Rated Glass • Mirrors • Stainless Steel

The mentioned techniques can be applied to a number of uses and applications, such as: • Glass Partitions (i.e. Shower Enclosures, Office Partitions, etc) • Facades/Shop Fronts • Skylights • Windows and Doors

• Glass Floorings and Ceilings • Wall Cladding • Staircase and Balustrades • Counters and Wash Basins

Spectra Arts Tel: +974 4458 1112 Fax: +974 4458 1113 Email: info@spectraarts.com Website: www.spectraarts.com

CONSTRUCTION

capabilities, and is on schedule for opening in autumn 2016. “In addition to the mall, an adjacent five-star hotel is also under construction by ourselves and is scheduled for completion at the same time. The surrounding infrastructure, including highways and metro links, are also well advanced by the Public Works Authority and we look forward together to making this new iconic designation available for the local population later in 2016,” says Al Khayyat.

The company is also bidding to work on the stadiums required for the 2022 World Cup, as Al Khayyat explains: “There are many projects to be completed in line with the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and the national vision requirements. We are confident that UCC will undertake its share of these projects, and consider that having now established the company’s reputation, we can build on it to ensure further compliance with

“UCC continually looks to see how it can strengthen its procedures and subsequently its performance” – Moutaz Al Khayyat, CEO

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Key Personnel

Moutaz Al Khayyat Executive Director As part of a great vision set by the country’s leadership for Qatar, we are privileged to share the collective responsibility to realize this vision and meet this country’s challenges and aspirations. Our establishment in Qatar since 1983 was in response to the special and unique needs of the local and international markets.

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our motto and vision. As we have seen in other Gulf Countries, the current investment into the country will not only provide opportunities for construction, there will be multiple growth in all sectors which will be a very positive environment for Qatar and its people.

With regard to stadium projects, UCC are actively participating in the tenders for all stadium projects. UCC is, together with BAM, a specialist stadium contractor. We are confident and are looking forward to our

CONSTRUCTION

Key Personnel

Ramaz Al Khayyat Managing Director

participation in the stadium delivery.”

Other clients UCC is working with include the Public Works Authority (ASHGHAL), Lusail Real Estate and Development Company, Manateq (Economic Free Zones), Qatar Development Bank, Aspire Zone, Qatar University, Qatar Foundation and several private sectors projects.

UCC’s motto ‘We Build Trust’ and this is at the forefront of its relationship with clients. Al Khayyat says: “Our objective is to ensure we give our clients the product they require, on time,

As a grade one general contracting company in Qatar, UrbaCon Trading & Contracting LCC has undertaken full turn-key development, design, construction, and operational capabilities to drive projects forward and surpass our clients’ expectations.

Our capabilities have extended to international markets and projects while maintaining our reputation of excellence.

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UCC (URBACON CONTRACTING & TRADING) safely and to the highest possible standards.

The Sheraton Project is a perfect example of this trust, where the client had just seven months before a key event was planned and awarded us the contract to completely renovate the hotel, the convention center and all its external surrounding, including all MEP systems, in just seven months on a design build basis. The project was handed over complete, tested, commissioned and fully operational ahead of time.

One of the keys to UCC’s success is its approach to the training and development of its employees. Al Khayyat says keeping top quality staff is a priority: “Rapid growth

Our group turned 70 in 2014, a year which has been marked by a turnaround in trends for Abantia with a 7% increase in revenues compared to 2013 to reach a consolidated figure of €195M. The order book to be produced in 12 months also grew by 13%, up from €157M in 2013 to €178M in 2014, which consolidates our growth path for 2015.

Operational Areas • Installions and Systems • Electromechanical Assembly • Operation and Maintenance • Renewables Development and Intergrated Projects

Tel. +974 4451 55 59 | qatar@abantia.com | www.abantia.com

CONSTRUCTION

coupled with market fluctuations can create an environment where it is challenging to attract and retain the required calibre of staff, however as a group of companies, we continually benchmark ourselves against the market and consider that we do remain as an employer of choice within the construction sector. Of course in turn, all employees are expected to perform to meet our expectations.”

The company has a dedicated section within its Human Resources department. “This coordinates both internal and external training across all designations, utilising our Oracle HCM and Taleo capability as a base for this development. Training is also cascaded down

“We continually benchmark ourselves so we remain as an employer of choice within the construction sector” – Moutaz Al Khayyat, CEO

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UCC (URBACON CONTRACTING & TRADING) to the skilled workforce, where internal trainers routinely take in teams of skilled workers for enhanced skill training in our purpose built skilled workforce training centers,” says Al Khayyat.

The Oracle HCM and Taleo platforms that Al Khayyat mentions are part of its use of technology across the business. “We have procured a comprehensive ERP application via Oracle, and its implementation was undertaken by Oracle Consultancy Services, to ensure that we get the maximum out of the available applications. The modules cover all core business functions such as finance, procurement, human resources (HCM and Taleo), payroll, projects, time attendance and project planning and costing. The HR modules cover all aspects of HR from recruitment allocation, employee relations and employee self service. In addition, we have invested in a fleet management PMV software, again with Oracle, which is tailor-made to control our PMV activities, which involves the allocation of some 2,000 items across our projects.” In addition, UCC uses iris scanners to monitor time attendance

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of its staff, by quickly and accurately registering each worker at the start and end of the day.

UCC has a centralised procurement chain and has structured its procurement team so that there are dedicated personnel for each specialised field. “Certain procurement officers just cover hard finishings such as marbles and ceramics, others FFE items. Each is positioned within the department to ensure the company benefits from their expertise and the employee benefits by continuous improvement of his specialist knowledge and in-depth database,” says Al Khayyat.

All of these elements together help to set UCC apart from its peers, thanks to its ability to successfully perform and deliver a wide range of diverse projects on a design build turnkey basis. Al Khayyat says: “UCC has achieved this by employing experienced professional staff at all levels, by building up a substantial inhouse work force of skilled workers, and by developing an extensive procurement chain in the local and international markets.”

[Ends]

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Pipe solutions Written by Sarah Arnold Produced by Heykel Ouni 127

J U B A I L E N E R G Y S E R V I C E S C O M PA N Y ( J E S C O )

JESCO has the expertise to meet the high demand for innovative pipe solutions within the GCC

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J

ubail Energy Services Company (JESCO) was founded in 2006 to cope with the demand for seamless pipes within the oil and gas industries. The idea behind this company was first considered 30 years ago within the GCC, but the implementation did not begin until 2003.

As the first company of its kind in the Middle East, JESCO produces two types of seamless pipes; OCTG (oil country tubular goods) and line pipe. Line pipes are those used to transfer oil and gas horizontally while OCTG is used to bring oil and gas to the surface.

ENERGY

Key Personnel

Zeyad Al Barrak CEO

JESCO is owned by a variety of investors.

The primary investor is parent company TAQA (Industrialization & Energy Services Company) holding 56 percent of shares. One of the world’s largest steel trading firms, Duferco (based in Switzerland), owns 10 percent of the company’s shares. The remaining 34 percent is owned by various well known Saudi investors.

JESCO’s production lines are located ten kilometers from the Jubail commercial port providing easy transportation of goods to international locations including the US, Asia

Graduating in 2000 from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals with B.Sc. Finance and Economy, Al Barrak started working at Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF) as a Credit Consultant under Projects Department – Credit Division. In 2007 he started his career in the metal industry and joined JESCO in 2008, serving as Chief Financial Officer until 2014. In September 2015, Al Barrak rejoined JESCO in the capacity of CEO.

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Your Drilling & Production Tubular Challenges is Our Business The Eurotechnology Group is a leading manufacturer, supplier and service provider of innovative Inspection Technologies, Hardbanding Equipment and sophisticated Tubular Threading Systems.

The Eurotechnology Group utilises the latest advanced technologies developed inhouse providing a managed service approach focusing on client-led requirements. From day-to-day management of the client’s tubular and associated equipment to complete logistical support, the Group provides services related to the refurbishment of O.C.T.G., Drill strings, BHA, Service tools and equipment inventories employed in the various facets in drilling and the completion of oil and gas wells.

Logistical support for Eurotechnology’s One Stop Shop approach to Tubular Management is provided to the end user through a dedicated service focal point responsible for ensuring that the client is fully informed at all times of its tubular and equipment inventories at Eurotechnology’s service facilities via a dedicated real time software interface.

The Eurotechnology Group is also a provider of NDT inspection training programmes tailored to meet the customer’s personnel training requirements.

In Pursuit of Excellence has always been and will always be, our main Goal.

T: +9 66 1 35107172 | F: +966 13 893 8496 E: info.saudi@eurotechnologygroup.com www.eurotechnologygroup.com

Total Tubular Management Services include: • Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) of Casing, Tubing, Line Pipe, Drill Pipe using propriety full length UT & EMI technologies.

• Inspection and refurbishment of BHA and the associated tools & equipment • Third party inspection / Quality Assurance / Quality Control • Hardbanding Services, Tungsten Redress of BHA and service tools • Innovated CNC Machining Systems for the refurbishment of Drill Pipe, BHA and O.C.T.G Tubular Goods • Management of Tubular Inventories and Logistical support

Headquarters in Al Khobar with service operations in Jubail & Tanajib EUROTECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL CO. LTD. P.O Box: 4275, Al Khobar 31952, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,

J U B A I L E N E R G Y S E R V I C E S C O M PA N Y ( J E S C O )

SUPPLIER PROFILE

THE EUROTECHNOLOGY GROUP

Your Tubular Challenge is Our Business.

The Eurotechnology Group is a leading manufacturer, supplier and service provider of innovative Inspection Technologies, Hardbanding Equipment and sophisticated Tubular Threading Systems.

The Eurotechnology Group utilises the latest advanced technologies developed in-house providing a managed service approach focusing on client-led requirements. From day-to-day management of the client’s tubular and associated equipment to complete logistical support, the Group provides services related to the refurbishment of O.C.T.G., Drill strings, BHA, Service tools and equipment inventories employed in the various facets in drilling and the completion of oil and gas wells.

Logistical support for Eurotechnology’s One Stop Shop approach to Tubular Management is provided to the end user through a dedicated service focal point responsible for ensuring that the client is fully informed at all times of its tubular and equipment inventories at Eurotechnology’s service facilities via a dedicated real time software interface.

The Eurotechnology Group is also a provider of NDT inspection training programmes tailored to meet the customer’s personnel training requirements. In Pursuit of Excellence has always been and will always be, our main Goal.

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and Europe. CEO Zeyad Al Barrak says: “This is one of the advantages that gives us an edge over our competition.” This strategic location means JESCO is able to supply GCC nations with products in a timely manner as well as smoothly import all the raw materials for production.

Work behind forming JESCO began in 1994 but did not come into fruition until 2003, leaving a gap in the market. When TAQA was formed in 2003, one of the mandates for this semi-state owned company was to establish a seamless pipe mill. Thus TAQA adopted the idea and after several additional years of feasibility studies JESCO was born.

“We have a capacity of 500,000 metric tons and we are working at that,” Al Barrak says. “We have a large diameter seamless pipe mill that goes from 4 ½ to 16 inches.” Demand for seamless pipe is high for API & Premium Connection (PC) and to

JESCO finishing line final storage evacuation area

500k

metric tons

JESCO’s working capacity

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Q U A L I T Y FIVES TUBE AND PIPE FIVES is proud to have supplied several pieces of equipment to Danieli for the JESCO pipe plant in Saudi Arabia.

FIVES has acquired a number of tube & pipe equipment companies and is now the provider of well know pipe plant products made under the Abbey, Bronx, Celes, OTO, Stein and Taylor-Wilson names.

The JESCO project included two Taylor-Wilson Hydrostatic Pipe Testers. One of the Taylor-Wilson testers is capable of handling pipe diameters from 140 mm to 340 mm. The second Taylor-Wilson tester has a larger range from 140 mm to 406 mm. Both machines have test pressures up to 85 Mpa with bench loads of over 3200 kN’s. Taylor-Wilson is well known for being one of the most durable and safest hydrostatic pipe testers in the world.

There are two large Bronx pipe straightening machines at JESCO’s facility, model number 10CR11. Both straightening machines are designed to straighten pipes from diameters of 140 mm to 340 mm at speeds up to 60 meters per minute. Pipes are straightened in both hot and cold configurations with the hot machine processing pipe at temperatures up to 700°C. Bronx has one of the largest install base worldwide and is a trusted name in pipe straightening.

Fives supplies pipe making and finishing equipment to a wide range of industries and has one of the largest ranges of equipment. Fives has equipment to produce, heat treat, straighten, bevel and test pipes from 4 mm to 914 mm in diameter. Fives sells individual machines, multiple machines and complete solutions to general contractors and end users alike. For more information please contact Fives at www.fivesgroup.com fivesbronx-sales@fivesgroup.com

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cope up with this demand, JESCO developed so far two PC Connections JPC2 & JPC3 and the list is growing. This will enhance the product mix provided to targeted markets. Plans for JPC4 are underway, enhancing this unique product further.

JESCO has over 100 years of experience in the construction of steel

Production site The production site at Jubail is built on 730,000 square meters of land provided by the Royal Commission for Jubail & Yanbu. Within these perimeters you will find a rolling mill, heat treatment, finishing, hydrostatic and nondestructive testing (NDT) lines. Also onsite is a full-fledged laboratory, enabling JESCO to ensure that the products delivered to its clients w w w. j e s c o . c o m . s a

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J U B A I L E N E R G Y S E R V I C E S C O M PA N Y ( J E S C O )

PIPE PROTECTION TECHNOLOGIES

HIGH–PERFORMANCE API & PREMIUM THREAD PROTECTION FOR COMPLETE RANGE OF OCTG APPLICATION Safe, efficient and cost‐effective packaging for transporting tubular products worldwide.

About SKY-E 

Leading supplier of OCTG thread protectors and pipe packing products

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Over 30 years’ experience on pipe protection technologies

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Products tried and tested, going above and beyond industry standard

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Qualified by all leading Oil and Gas Companies

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Production capacity to meet any size job

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On-time delivery to over 35 countries

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Tel +86 577 86552397 Feburary 2016 Email info@sky-e.cn

| Fax +86 577 86536385 | Web www.sky-e.cn

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are of the very highest standard. bringing new innovations into the seamless piping industry.

As for market conditions today: “Everybody is facing challenges with the oil prices and the market slowdown in China; they are not growing enough. They are not reaching their manufacturing capabilities and it affected oil consumptions and the drilling activities, which ultimately then affects the consumption of pipes,” explains Al Barrak.

JESCO is closely monitoring the global economy. Recently, Aramco (Saudi Arabian Oil Company) increased its production along with their counterparts in UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Egypt and Iraq.

Current market conditions are not ideal and to cope with this, JESCO has short, mid and long-

“It is not necessarily about making a profit these days, but you need to survive.

It is a survival market now” – Zeyad Al Barrak, CEO

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J U B A I L E N E R G Y S E R V I C E S C O M PA N Y ( J E S C O )

A Step ahead in Capex and Opex Danieli Centro Tube SEAMLESS PIPE TECHNOLOGY TO PRODUCE UP TO 28” DIA API GR 1 TO 5 AND UP TO 160 PIECES/HOUR. Our plants are equipped with conetype piercing mills, original FQM™-Fine Quality Mill (3-roll retained mandrel mill) and sizing/ stretch reducing mill to roll tubes with close dimensional tolerances.

JESCO SAUDI ARABIA Complete turnkey complex for high-quality seamless pipe production: hot rolling line featuring FQM mill and pipe finishing floor for 400,000 tpy from 5”1/2 to 16” OD. VALLOUREC STAR OHIO (USA) High performance 3-roll FQM based seamless pipe mill for 450,000 tpy from 1” 1/2 to 7 OD.

BENTELER STEEL/TUBE (USA) High-piece rate (small lots, outstanding plant flexibility) and FQM mill featuring cartridge lateral change-over for 320,000 tpy of seamless pipes.

SEVERSKY TUBE WORKS (TMK) (RUSSIA) Hot rolling line featuring 5-stand FQM mill for 600,000 tpy seamless pipes ranging from 6” to 14” OD.

Danieli Headquarters 33042 Buttrio (Udine) Italy Tel (39)04321.958111

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1914 /2014 DANIELI CENTUR Y

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term strategies in place. Al Barrak says: “It is not necessarily about making a profit these days, but you need to survive. It is a survival market now.”

On average this year, seamless pipes mills are working at a capacity of 35-40 percent, a level that is not sustainable. JESCO is managing this by having a major focus on sales while at the same time, cutting costs wherever possible. Al Barrak adds: “I believe that building key relationships is key in these difficult market conditions.” Saudi Aramco is the leading client for JESCO and it wants to build on this important relationship as well as those with other national oil companies.

In the medium to long term, JESCO is eager to focus on lean strategies and production methods while also incorporating Six Sigma techniques.

Al Barrak identifies with the unique selling point

“Thirty percent of oil production in the world is in the Middle East. We are not like the other producers of seamless pipes that are stationed in Europe, the Americas and China” – Zeyad Al Barrak, CEO

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J U B A I L E N E R G Y S E R V I C E S C O M PA N Y ( J E S C O )

World leaders in Tubular Finishing Technologies

Your World Partners in Technology

-Pipe Threading machines -Coupling Threading machines - Coupling Starter/ Screw On (buck-on) units - Full and Short Drifters

Proud to be part of the Jubail Energy Service Company success!

From the beginning!

European Plant:

U.S Plant:

Faubourg de Mignault, 17 - B 7070 LE ROEULX BELGIUM Ph.: +32/64/67.37.77 Fax: +32/64/67.32.67 Email: sales @pmc-colinet.be

29100 Lakeland Blvd., WICKLIFFE 44092 OHIO, U.S.A. Ph.: +1/440/943.3300 Fax: +1/440/944.1974 Email: sales@pmc-colinet.com

www.pmc-colinet.com A Park Ohio Company

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JESCO has: “Thirty percent of oil production in the world is in the Middle East. We are not like the other producers of seamless pipes that are stationed in Europe, the Americas and China.”

Aramco is one of JESCO’s major clients and partners; it provides gas used on site in Jubail and 50 percent of JESCO’s sales are to the local market - mostly to Aramco. The remaining half of sales is to near markets and to the US market.

JESCO produces seamless pipes for all the main national oil companies such as Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Petroleum Operations (ADCO) and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO). Along with this, JESCO supplies various distributors and stock holders, including many important distributors of OCTG in the United States.

SAR

1.2bn The amount of revenue generated by JESCO

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J U B A I L E N E R G Y S E R V I C E S C O M PA N Y ( J E S C O )

Manufacturer of industrial processing tools and mechanical spare parts. Operated by highly skilled and professional experts according to standardized quality system and quality control.

OUR CLIENTS

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www.al-aslami.com

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info@al-aslami.com

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Tel: +966 133415159

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JESCO has a 750-strong workforce, with a mixture of Saudi nationals and international expats. Due to market conditions, headcount was reduced by 100 but as the market picks up, Al Barrak believes that he will have a large selection of high-quality workers to select from. “Now, there is definitely the opportunity to headhunt qualified, talented and well-trained employees,” he states in relation to redundancies from other companies in the oil and gas industries.

“We are giving high importance to training in order to enhance knowledge. We have an alliance with the Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF). This is a government fund that helps us develop Saudi nationals. This help in funding is something we really need to thank

“We are giving high importance to training in order to enhance knowledge. We have an alliance with the Human Resource Development Fund (HRaDF). This is a government fund that helps us develop Saudi nationals” – Zeyad Al Barrak, CEO

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J U B A I L E N E R G Y S E R V I C E S C O M PA N Y ( J E S C O )

LEADING MACHINE-TOOL SUPPLIER WORLDWIDE IN OIL&GAS DANOBAT focus on providing the most suitable solution for your API, GOST and PREMIUM thread requirements fo medium and high production applications, addapting automation level and machines layout to your particular needs.

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DANOBAT

2 0 1Arriaga 6 kalea, 21 E-20870 ELGOIBAR (Gipuzkoa) Spain

Tel.: + 34 943 74 80 44 danobat@danobat.com www.danobatgroup.com

ENERGY

the government for,” Al Barrak explains.

JESCO credits much of its success to the selection of premium manufacturing equipment made by the Italian machinery builder Danieli.

This firm has over 100 years of experience in the construction of steel making and heavy equipment. Al Barrak gives Danieli a lot of credit: “Without Danieli, we would never be able to produce or have such a plant in the Kingdom.”

Danieli, as well as having created the Jubail plant, has an important part to play in the future of JESCO. Since opening the plant, schemes implemented by Danieli mean that JESCO was able to widen the pipe sizes it produces.

JESCO’s latest product is also its smallest; a seamless pipe that is 4 ½ inches. It also installed a new finishing line that allowed the finishing of a further 100,000 tons of finished pipes. w w w. j e s c o . c o m . s a

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Precision Engineering for Shorter Cycle Times

www.colecarbide.com Only Cole OGW controls part-to-part uniformity and uses less of the allowable tolerance in grinding to optimize production.

Pair this with improved tool life, reduced cycle time and expert engineering and you profit from better quality end products.

Threading tools made better to perform better. Contact Cole OGW to learn more.

4930 S. Lapeer Road Orion Twp., MI 48359 U.S.A. Tel: (586) 757-8700 • Fax: (586) 757-8701 Sales inquiries welcome

We are Arabian Pipecoating Company specialized applicator for anti-corrosion coating material to the external and internal surface of line pipe, fabricated spools and associated fittings such as valves, elbows, flanges etc, were ranging from 2 to 80 inch (50 to 2031 mm) external and 2 to 72 inch (50 to 1828 mm) internal in diameter. our coating plant in Jubail – Saudi Arabia, can perform the following protective coating:• Fusion Bond Epoxy (FBE) internal & external • 3Layer Polyethylene (3LPE) external coating • 3layer Polypropylene (3LPP) external coating • Liquid epoxy coating internal & external • Field Girth Weld Coating • Double Jointing ( Welding ) of Pipe • Custom Shop Coating for fittings and spools etc.

• Concrete Weight Coating Please note that our company approved protective coating applicator for many leading companies such as Saudi Aramco, Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC).in Saudi Arabia, KOC Kuwait, QP Qatar, ADNOC UAE and PDO Oman.

Our main activities and product line is directed to the Oil, Gas, Water and Petrochemical industries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia And entire Middle east . All our product line process are supported by a documented Quality Assurance System which has been audited and approved by Lloyd’s Registration assurance and which carries ISO 9001/ISO 18001/ ISO 14001 Tel: +966 13 882 2933 Fax: +966 13 882 2487 Email: rkhobar@apco-coating.com Website: apco-coating.com

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In 2012, JESCO went live with SAP (ERP System) to automate the company-wide business activities. This has been revolutionary for JESCO, providing smooth transitions between each function that leads to an increase in JESCO’s efficiency and productiveness.

The demand for innovative pipe solutions is very high within the GCC. Al Barrak says: “ We have our own research and development system. “ There are ambitious plans to expand our product offering that may also include drill pipes and further extensions of our size range.

“I believe it is important to always enhance the product mix that JESCO can offer,” he adds. w w w. j e s c o . c o m . s a

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Lighting the Written by: Lucy Dixon Produced by: Mark Atkinson

way

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PHILIPS SLC

Philips SLC is an innovative lighting company working closely with key suppliers Khalid Al Hobayb General Manager of Philips SLC

P

hilips is a global leader in lighting who joined up with Saudi Arabia’s top lighting manufacturer, Saudi Lighting Company, to create Philips SLC in 2014. The combination of world-leading technology and detailed local knowledge has allowed Philips SLC to bring the latest innovations in lighting to Saudi Arabia.

Khalid Al Hobayb, General Manager of Philips SLC, says that the company offers LED lighting to every sector, from residential and commercial new build and retrofit projects to consumers, end users and distribution partners. When you consider the research from the Saudi Centre for Energy Efficiency which found that Saudi Arabia’s energy consumption is amongst the highest in the world, with an average per capita consumption of electricity that is twice the global average, there has never been a better time to install LED lighting, which can provide energy savings of around 50 percent and when connected to controls energy savings of up to 80%.

Innovation runs through the core of Philips SLC, says Al Hobayb, describing the company’s laboratory in Riyadh. “It’s state of-the-art, it’s the only one available in the region. Here we can test and measure all the components which are required for development of innovative products coming in from global Philips innovation centres.” The products need to be extensively tested by Philips SLC as product specifications and

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requirements vary hugely from region to region.

Al Hobayb adds: “Where needed we are able to localise the products and adapt them to meet the specific requirements of the KSA. And here in Saudi Arabia, the clients are invited to visit the laboratory so that they can experience and examine all the products as they are being tested.

When we get any of the raw materials, electronic parts, or other components, we take a batch to test in the laboratory before giving the go ahead for it to be manufactured. We do this quality test in order for us to make sure that we have the highest quality products delivered to the customers.�

HealWell is a new lighting solution for patient rooms which provides light that is tuned to support the biological clock and creates a pleasant ambience for patients and visitors, thus supporting the healing environment

Top quality This attention to ensuring its products are of the highest quality is crucial to Philips globally, w w w. p h i l i p s - s l c . c o m

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PHILIPS SLC

1700+ Number of staff employed by Philips SLC

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as well as Philips SLC, and the clients it works with are the proof of this – from universities and hospitals to iconic government buildings, Philips’ products are lighting the way. To facilitate this, Philips works very closely with its suppliers, as Procurement Manager Piotr Wysocki explains: “We treat suppliers like our partners. We don’t want to do one year of business and then search for another one. We want long term partnerships with suppliers, so that they know exactly what to deliver for us. This enables us to deliver the best lighting solution and fixtures. This is a very important and a very efficient way of working.”

Working so closely with suppliers has evolved over the years at Philips, says Wysocki, who has been with the company for 20 years. He adds: “I have seen significant changes in Philips since

M A N U FA C T U R I N G

2011, with a focus on building up relationships with partners. To explain it simply, we want to cooperate only with these suppliers who can commit to us, who can really work long term with us. From 2013 to December 2015, we have optimised our supplier base to raise the level of quality, competitiveness and time to market for ensuring innovation and sustainability in our products.” And then every year the Philips team meets all the suppliers, giving them valuable information about the market and about its strategy for the near future. Wysocki adds: “We are giving them really a very good picture of

“Here in Saudi Arabia, the clients visit the laboratory so that they can examine all the products as they are being tested” –K halid Al Hobayb, General Manager of Philips SLC

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PHILIPS SLC

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what we expect and what we can offer them. Our way of working is based on an Early Supplier Involvement approach – it’s a close cooperation. We’re not just making demands, we’re supporting suppliers too to develop and evolve. This has led to a number of regional suppliers becoming global suppliers to Philips.”

Home of innovation Philips SLC is working hard on getting the energysaving message out there, by involvement in projects such as SABIC’s Home of Innovation, where its products will be on display as part of a wider look at smart technology. Al Hobayb explains: “We are partnering in the Home of Innovation initiative with all the lighting and controls, it will be a model in order to show what is needed to reduce energy consumption.”

As a key partner, Philips SLC will be able to invite customers to view the project and find out more about the products used.

But LEDs are not only about energy saving, says Al Hobayb, they are also being used to showcase Saudi Arabia’s beautiful buildings. He adds: “When you look to our portfolio, Philips SLC has one of the biggest range of products

In 2015 Xceed was the most used LED road light in the Kingdom

50% The typical amount of energy savings gained by Philips LED lighting

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PHILIPS SLC The King Abdul Aziz Tunnel, which is one of the main road passage tunnels near Al Haram, leading to prominent places in Holy Makkah

Established in 1983, Sirijaya is a reputable manufacturer of innovative, high quality Fluorescent and LED Light Fittings, Lamp and Starter Holders supplying to domestic and overseas markets.

NO.9 Lebuh Perusahaan Klebang 9, IGB International Industrial Park,31200 Chemor, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia.

Tel: +605-2923888 (Hunting Line), 2912223 - 2912228 Fax: +605-2912221, 2912222 Email: marketing@sirijaya.com Website: www.sirijaya.com

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available, and we are number one looking at innovation, so of course we have the right capabilities to deliver systems and solutions.�

One excellent example of this is the King Abdul Aziz Tunnel, which is one of the main road passage tunnels near Al Haram, leading to prominent places in Holy Makkah. As you would expect, this tunnel receives a significant amount of traffic during the Hajj season. The tunnel is now using 50 percent less energy thanks to the installation of LED lights, which also reduces maintenance work thanks to their lifetime of 60,000 hours.

Another stunning project is Riyadh’s Kingdom Centre, which dominates the city skyline. The 65-storey building includes a shopping mall, the Four Seasons Hotel and state-of-theart, luxury apartments. Its switch to an LED lighting solution with Philips ColorKinetics saves a massive 80 percent energy and has increased the time between maintenance visits from 2,000 hours of use to 50,000 hours.

And all this while withstanding the scorching temperatures of a Saudi Arabian summer.

Both projects illustrate the changing attitude to lighting globally, largely brought about in Saudi Arabia by Philips SLC. The company is committed to bringing new and innovative lighting systems and solutions to the Kingdom, enhancing the cities’ skylines on flagship projects and allowing consumers and businesses alike to increase sustainability while also becoming energy friendly.

The King Abdul Aziz Tunnel in Holy Makkah

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