Deploying effective localisation strategy to drive growth in the energy sector
Deploying localisation growth
Deploying effective localisation strategy to drive growth in the energy sector
Explore industry insights from the energy sector in this exclusive interview with Maytham Al-Elg, Localization Strategy Director at Baker Hughes in the Middle East (ME).
Maytham Al-Elg is a senior leader in the Middle East (ME) at Baker Hughes, a leading energy technology company, and has worked in the sector for two decades.
ver the years, his specialisms have spanned oil and gas, energy, petrochemicals, refinery and utilities –primarily in the MENAT (Middle East, North Africa and Turkey) region.
Today, Maytham joins us to reflect on his career growth, working in the MENAT region and the technological innovations driving growth in the energy sector.
Maytham Al-Elg
Maytham began his career as a field engineer in upstream operations after graduating with a mechanical engineering degree. From here, Maytham developed his knowledge further by performing a range of roles, including handling customer interface for sales and operation developing key accounts, before moving to the midstream and downstream sector, dealing with projects and operations execution for rotating equipment. He credits these positions for helping him build his knowledge in order to move to a more strategic role developing processes, operational excellence, improved efficiency and team building for customer and organisation success.
This professional progression has led Maytham to the position of Localization Strategy Director at Baker Hughes ME, a role that involves localisation strategies alignment and ecosystem development across product lines to meet customer needs and regional requirements.
Maytham believes his career journey has taught him the importance of self-discipline and challenging yourself to drive both personal and organisational growth, as well as the value of teamwork, commitment and taking accountability for your actions.
Launching our conversation, Maytham explores how embracing localisation for Baker Hughes works on a strategic level.
“The process starts with aligning all requirements from customers,
regulatory bodies and Baker Hughes itself – framing the need to reach a common ground for development,” explains Maytham. “When you work across several countries, there is a diverse range of needs that must be met in a specific way to support customers and serve the company’s vision. I view localisation needs as a driver for faster and more efficient results – positioning the end user and companies in a stronger place. From a strategic viewpoint, solutions developed closer to customer operations will be more tailored to their needs.”
“We are successful when multiple individuals and organisations work together”
Baker Hughes flexible onshore composite pipe being manufactured. Photo from www.bakerhughes.com
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“The Middle East region is no different from other developed regions when it comes to innovations, and it has become one of the leading regions in implementing new ideas and concepts”
For Maytham, it is a particularly exciting time to work in the MENAT region, as businesses from the area are driving key innovations transforming the energy sector.
“The Middle East region is no different from other developed regions when it comes to innovations, and it has become one of the leading regions in implementing new ideas and concepts,” says Maytham.
“Currently, there is a significant focus on implementing new technologies to lead the energy transition. Some of the key implementations include Carbon Capture technology, hydrogens, non-metallics, solar energy, digital transformation and many more. Adopting these new technologies is promoting innovation within the region, and these new ideas are expected to foster the energy transition globally.”
Global reach, local presence
Established in 2020 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, PPE International LLC is a Joint Venture between PRECISION POLYMER ENGINEERING Ltd, a unit of IDEX Corporation and a Saudi-owned diversified industrial company.
As the first High Performance Elastomer Sealing company localising operations in Saudi Arabia, our mission is to bring local products for Made in KSA technologies - primarily in the Energy sector - and support our partners’ global activities from the Middle East.
We work closely with a wide range of leading global oil & gas companies to develop sealing solutions that perform in difficult applications, last longer, require less maintenance and deliver the lowest cost of ownership.
PPE’s capabilities in the Kingdom includes a material laboratory used for R&D purposes and product quality control, application engineering, elastomer parts manufacturing and commercial support.
sa.prepol.com
According to Maytham, localisation is also playing an instrumental role in driving sustainable energy within the Middle East.
“Localisation helps us secure a reliable source of energy in times of uncertainty – to both the region and on a global scale,” says Maytham.
“Having a robust supply chain ecosystem and strong localised support builds the foundation
for meeting energy needs during geopolitical conflicts and disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, simultaneously helping to lower emissions by reducing the needs of international logistics and transportation.”
Technology is also playing a significant role in driving innovation and localisation within the Middle East, explains Maytham.
“As the Middle East region – and more specifically the Gulf states – count for a significant portion of global energy needs, the future of energy in this region is looking bright”
Baker Hughes Low Carbon Technology
Photo from www.bakerhughes.com
“When it comes to localisation, the focus on enhancing the supply chain ecosystem in the region through development is igniting research and development,” says Maytham. “Specific ideas tailored to the harsh environment are forming, resulting in new technological innovations. This is crucial to the energy sector within the MENAT region, as we are seeing a steady need in growing and maintaining the large needs for different energy resources.”
However, while emerging technologies are crucial for transforming energy production, Maytham stresses that the development of new processes would not be possible without collaboration.
“We are successful when multiple individuals and organisations work together,” says Maytham. “In regards to success in localisation and meeting targets, one of the most critical elements is developing the supply chain ecosystem. This means partnering with a variety of local and international partners to enhance it. To begin, we start by identifying critical gaps along the supply chain to implement developments for products and services alongside our partners.
“In some cases, this development requires us to work with reliable global suppliers. When a need to enhance the development of high-performance polymers for the ecosystem in Saudi Arabia emerged, international suppliers were identified to start the journey in localising operations within the country. CDI Products is an incredibly successful example of partnering together to develop the supply chain ecosystem within a local market.”
So, what does the future look like for energy in the Gulf states? Maytham believes it’s all about utilising consistent innovation as a transformative power.
“As the Middle East region – and more specifically the Gulf states –count for a significant portion of global energy needs, the future of energy in this region is looking bright,” says Maytham. “We’re driving new technologies forward to support the energy mix, and this is expected to have steady growth, as seen with ongoing projects in the pipeline. And as this development grows, our processes become steadily more innovative.”
Learn more about Baker Hughes at bakerhughes.com.
Added Value
Further reading
Maytham is always looking to further his knowledge of the field.
“With the current developments in the industry, I am becoming more focused on the new energy needs by reading and learning about the new technologies in the fields of energy transition, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, machine learning and more,” says Maytham. “I make sure to dedicate some of my time to reading and looking into the latest developments in those areas, through conferences, books, webinars, new research papers and more.”
Events
Maytham is looking forward to attending:
• The Future of Energy on the 15th-16th October in Riyadh Front, Saudi Arabia
• Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC) 2024 on the 4th-7th November
Connect with Maytham
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article reflect Maytham Al-Elg’s personal experiences and perspectives.