f we ask you to think of a leader whom you admire and
I hold as an idol with high regard, what are the most admirable traits that you value? Chances are that the person who comes to mind isn't hard-driving or cutthroat; in fact, responses to such questions indicate a point of view amalgamated with the fundamentals that are synchronized with the attributes of staunch leadership acumen.
First, we believe that leaders are made, not born. Put another way; leadership is a skill that can be developed. Good leaders are molded through experience, continued study, and adaptation. It is also crucial to understand that leadership is a social process. It is less about one strong or charismatic individual and more about a group of people working collectively to achieve results together.
In today's dynamic business world, when people are exploring new opportunities and aspire to work with the emerging starlets of the modern business arena, it is of utmost essentials for them to know the diverse leadership approaches as these success principles inspire people's confidence. Moreover, it helps the aspirants stay loyal to the organization while embracing these vital traits.
We comprehend the meaning of integrity, and those good leaders are authentic, trustworthy and reliable. They have strong moral principles. They have strong moral principles that don't waver, even when they might close a deal or make more money by exaggerating or lying.
At a certain stage-people understand the importance of this leadership skill—even when it's difficult or unpopular—be honest and trustworthy. However, adding to this scenario, good leaders never bask in favoritism. Instead, these personalities know that empathy is the key to treating everyone fairly.
It is quintessential for people to be clear of their thoughts and approaches; it develops an aspect of 'honor to commitment.' This aspect helps in becoming a prominent personality in the game of the modern business world.
Effective leadership charismas, while not forging immediate gains, consider repercussions down the line and actively work on the techniques that will eventually scale the company's progress to greater heights. This principle of strategic thinking is fundamental and identifies a person's character.
Comprehending these fundamentals of the prominent individuals, especially in the middle east region, Insights Success features the enthralling stories of the resolute leadership charismas in its latest edition, 'The 10 Most Inspiring Leaders in Middle East to Follow, 2022.’
Flip through the pages and indulge yourself in the journey that bring together the innovations and the people synonymous with inspirations.
Cenk Ünverdi Regional General Manager
Denko Mancheski CEO
Essam Al Tamimi Chairman
Hamid Kerayechian CEO
Keren Jadhav Owner and Managing Director
Mohammed Abbas CEO
Mohammed Rayyan Founder and CEO
Rixos Hotels Gulf Region rixos.com
Al Tamimi & Company tamimi.com
Ayana Holding ayanaholding.com
My Business Consulting DMCC mybusinessconsulting.ae
Wafy App wafyapp.com
Dartek Contracting Co. LLC dartek-uae.com
Mosaed Al-Ohali CEO
Sebastian Stefan CEO
Ziad Rizk CEO
Maaden maaden.com.sa
Rixos hotels provide trendy living where iconic design meets contemporary luxury, setting up the stage for exclusive and glamorous lifestyle experiences.
Reef (Reliable Extensible Efficient Fast) is an EVM compatible chain for DeFi. It is built with Substrate framework and uses Nominated Proof of Stake consensus
At Al Tamimi & Company is committed to your success and provide structured development opportunities for lawyers and business services colleagues at all levels.
Ayana Holding is an internationally recognized organization with market leading businesses and investments that provide services across a diverse scope of industries
My Business Consulting DMCC is anexpert consulting company for Business Setup, Bank Account Opening, Immigration support and VAT in the UAE.
Wafy is an interactive platform offering a complete guide to tourism, culture, sports and entertainment events in Saudi Arabia.
Dartek Contracting Co. LLC is a UAE based contracting company specialized in MEP and Interior works operating within a large range of sectors including commercial, residential, industrial, education, restaurants, retail and healthcare.
Ma’aden is the leading mining and metals company in Saudi Arabia, and the tenth largest mining company in the world according to market capitalization.
Load Me is a web based business, a freight exchange service for the road transportation industry in the Middle East.
Crayon provides guidance on the best solutions for clients’ business needs and budget with software, cloud, AI and big data.
Rixos is a growing brand, and I lead a relentless quest to establish the brand as the leader in setting the stage for memorable 360° guest experiences. At Rixos, we do things; differently; we see things that others don't.
T ravel bans are lifted, and tourists are on the move!
Two years' worth of travel dreams has raised people's expectations through the roof. Hoteliers are tasked with meeting and surpassing their guests' expectations, even as the hospitality industry faces internal challenges like it hasn't in the last half a century.
Hospitality leaders in these turbulent times have been facing these challenges with grace, providing guests with unforgettable experiences.
Insights Success came across one such leader, Cenk Ünverdi, Regional General Manager at Rixos Hotels in the Gulf Region
Cenk is a hospitality industry veteran who has faced many storms and has come out better every time. He leads by actively listening to the needs of his guests, the 2000 people under his command, and himself.
Cenk's leadership has elevated the Rixos Hotels brand through strategic and high-profile partnerships; all Rixos properties at that time won the World Travel Awards in April 2019 under his command.
Cenk Ünverdi shares his experience about his journey in the hospitality industry, the challenges he faced along the way, and establishing Rixos as a leader of 360° guest experiences.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
My goal is to lead the market with innovation and pave the way for new stories in the hospitality forefront.
Briefly describe your professional journey up until now.
I bring over 15 years of experience in the hotel industry. My entire hospitality career has been wonderfully spent with Rixos, a lifestyle hotel brand that I consider my home. Being the Regional General Manager, I currently oversee five hotels in UAE and gearing for upcoming hotels in the wider GCC region.
What challenges did you face along the way?
It is inevitable to face challenges along the way, and for me, every challenge is a learning curve to improve and do better. Recovering from the pandemic was one of the challenges we all faced in this industry. From handling the pandemic well to implementing unique offers to keep up with the market amidst the tough competition to constantly embracing technological and digital changes,
I am quite fortunate that I have a team who sees every challenge as an opportunity.
What significant impact have you brought to the hospitality industry?
Rixos is a growing brand, and I lead a relentless quest to establish the brand as the leader in setting the stage for memorable 360° guest experiences. Rixos Hotels have introduced revolutionary entertainment and wellness programs in the Middle East, from staged shows to exciting creative activities for children at Rixy Kids Club to actionpacked challenges at Exclusive Sports Club – and they are not just that. We take pride in our Kids Club – it is one of the biggest destinations in the industry; it's every child's dream. It's where imaginations come to life. There is always something for every preference. Our entertainment is so unique that every guest will find something for them.
The 10 Most Inspiring Leaders in Middle East To Follow, 2022It's more than just singing and dancing; it's a performance of a lifetime. Our Exclusive Sports Club offers a wide selection of fitness programs suitable for all ages – and it's more than that. These fitness programs are done uniquely with our well-experienced trainers. We do things; differently. We see things that others don't. They are more than just added values; they are in themselves a pillar in making guests' stay special. We constantly improve and innovate; we always know what works and turn what doesn't into something bigger and better.
Tell us about Rixos Hotels Gulf Region and its foundation pillar.
Rixos Hotels Gulf Region is a popular lifestyle destination with a flock of quality celebrities, trendsetters, and influencers spotted on every corner from day to night. Its strategic location and unique design have kept its top position amongst its competitors, with Rixos The Palm Hotel & Suites to be in the same disposition someday. Rixos Premium Dubai has 414 well-kept guest rooms with breathtaking views of Ain Dubai and modern amenities, vibrant dining and nightlife venues, and unrivaled services. The property constantly innovates with the competitive landscape of the city through exceptional guest service experiences. Moreover, Rixos Hotels Gulf Region has a longstanding partnership with exceptional brands such as Ammos, Asil, Azure, Black Tap, Lock, Stock & Barrel, Luigia, and STK. These brands continuously redefine the entertainment, dining, and nightlife scene in Dubai, and these brands set the hotel apart from the ever-growing competition in Dubai.
How does Rixos Hotels Gulf Region promote workforce flexibility, and what is your role in it?
Leading a team of more than 2000 colleagues, I value not only the physical but also the mental well-being of our colleagues. Not only in Rixos Hotels Gulf Region but across all Rixos properties in the region, we try to coordinate various activities with the help of Talent & Culture to make sure that every single colleague is satisfied and motivated with their day-to-day activities. We have implemented a “Speakeasy Committee Meeting” where everyone can openly and freely discuss their feedback and opinion. We listen and actively encourage open discussion for change. My greatest success lies within my team, and they are the key to creating the best Rixos moments for our guests.
What is your take on technology's importance, and how are you leveraging it?
I inspired the team to kickstart digital from scratch and successfully establish a digital ecosystem across Rixos properties in the region. Moreover, my passion for the digital landscape and innovation plays a significant role in the success of various campaigns, especially after the brink of the pandemic. We live in a world driven by technology, and it is extremely important to stay up-to-date with the current trends. I consistently get myself involved with our digital efforts and make sure that every single penny we are spending has a return for the business and creates awareness.
What will be the next significant change in the hospitality industry, and how are you preparing for it?
We are in a very competitive hospitality landscape, and change is inevitable in this industry. We try to constantly innovate and make sure that our guests will experience something they have never experienced before. It is the era of digitalization, and we plan ahead, brainstorm as a team, listen to everyone's ideas and make sure that we are always prepared for whatever is coming our way.
What are your goals in the upcoming future?
My goal is to lead the market with innovation and pave the way for new stories in the hospitality forefront. Rixos Hotels is all about making a statement through each destination. It is a promising, young, and energetic brand, and we, as a team, continue to live up to its brand DNA. We are looking forward to further expanding our footprint across the GCC region. We are more than a hotel, more than a brand, and you'll be hearing more of this soon.
What advice would you like to give the next generation of aspiring business leaders?
My advice is to embrace learning and always be open to ideas. We live in a world powered by technology, social media, and the latest and growing trend – influencer marketing. The trends constantly change, and we need to keep up with the speed of it. Learning never stops, especially in this industry. Every opportunity and challenge can always be turned into a learning experience. Always be open to ideas; even the smallest ones can affect the business significantly. Listening can go a long way. Listen to yourself, listen to your colleagues, and more importantly, listen to what your guests needs. Last but not least, learn how to value simplicity. For simplicity generates an unrivaled beauty.
To set up a business, one needs to have extensive knowledge about the nuances of that particular market, the level of demand for the product or service that is to be sold, and the pertinent legal and regulatory requirements. There are instances where an entrepreneur seeks guidance regarding the aforementioned aspects. This is where KerenJadhav and her MyBusinessConsulting DMCC comes in.
In the following interview, Keren share insights into the business consulting niche and how her company has gained a strong foothold in the UAE market.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Almost 20 years ago, I started my career path as a sales manager. I grew amazingly fast into the regional sales head as I truly cherished my work - for me sales process was never about closing the deal. It was more about serving people and providing them with the best solutions for life and business. This way of thinking alongside devotion to building and growing high-performance teams eventually brought me to success in the sphere of capital investments and real
estate property management, where I have been managing multimillion projects for more than seven years.
Eventually, my focus on providing five-star customer service and tackling complex business issues via utilizing top-to-bottom knowledge of the local market have led me where I am now – Owner and Managing Director of two Dubaibased management consulting firms. One of these companies is My Business Consulting DMCC, a multiaward-winning corporate service provider and a business advisor of choice for foreign entrepreneurs willing to set up their businesses in the UAE.
TellusmoreaboutMyBusiness ConsultingDMCC,itsvision,and mission.
My Business Consulting DMCC is widely known in the UAE market as a provider of hyper-personalized business setup solutions and highquality corporate services at a justifiable cost. We help investors of various levels: from start-ups, SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises), multi-nationals, publicly listed to governmentowned companies, to establish their business in the UAE, advising on the most suitable free zone, company ownership structure, business activities, involved costs and
required documents. Further, we handle the business licensing process from A-to-Z, assist with bank account opening, UAE residence visas, provide costeffective accounting and admin services.
For my Business Consulting DMCC, since company foundation in 2009, quality, not quantity was the measure. Till the date, we have assisted more than 5,000 entrepreneurs set up their business in the UAE, though what we are proud of, is that about 80% of our existing clients stay with us longer than 5 years already, doing business with us and recommending us to their friends, and such trust is our greatest compliment.
We believe that trust is extremely important in business. You have to feel secure with your business advisor, safe in the knowledge that both their experience and vision will keep your business safe and compliant with UAE laws and requirements. Many of our clients consider transparency to be our key to success as we list our prices openly, don’t have any hidden fees, do not support bureaucracy or impose unnecessary services; we only provide the solutions entrepreneurs need, to grow their businesses across the UAE.
By the way, the excellence of our business and customer service approaches was proven by 21 local and international awards. Among most valuable recognitions are ‘Top Performing Consultant’ by the World’s #1 Free Zone - Dubai Multi Commodity Center Free Zone (DMCC) for 4 consecutive years, ‘Best of 2019 Professional Services to the Businesses’, ‘UAE Most Innovative Business Advisory Firm’, ‘Best UAE Business Consulting Service’, and many others.
Beinganexperiencedleader,share withusyouropiniononhowthe adaptationofnoveltechnologies hastransformedtheworldof businessandwhatmorecouldbe expectedinthenearfuture?
Notwithstanding the growing trends towards digitalization of business, most of SMEs globally had to slow down or even stop their operations when their employees were under lockdown during COVID-19. Hope this tough lesson was well learned, and soon we will step into a new era where only the most adaptable to change and technologically developed businesses will survive and thrive.
I feel that in 2021 almost all business owners will reconsider the business model they have been utilizing for the past few years, the transformation will be mostly related to exploring digital channels of communication, product and service delivery, marketing communication, and of course remote operations as it has already been proven that WFH (work from home) mode can not only raise performance of some employees but also immensely cut company expenses. We are just stepping into the era of real innovations that will completely reshape the global
business world in the upcoming years.
Takingintoconsideration,the currentpandemic,anditsimpact onglobaleconomies,howareyou drivingyourorganizationtosustain operationsandensuringsafetyof youremployeesatthesametime?
One of the most important factors of our success on the market is the high adaptability to change and an extremely professional team. We are complying with all safety guidelines issued by the UAE Government and took all precautionary measures to ensure a safe business environment for our staff and clients.
COVID-19 has forced entire industries here in UAE to rethink their operational processes what took them months to transfer all activities to the remote mode. But we were ready to fully operate just in 2 days! And here is how we did it:
• Our company is a proud owner of a well-designed exclusive Project Management System (PMS) which allowed all employees to work from the comfort of their homes during the lockdown.
• Also, our company has a shared system of database which is accessible for all employees from anywhere in the world. Yes, during the pandemic we had employees stuck in their countries, but our wellestablished work processes and remote communication tools have affected neither their performance nor the quality of our services.
• My Business Consulting DMCC has well-organized external operations procedures which allowed all parcels and telephone calls to be diverted to a database controller or employee in-charge. So, all customers’ queries were processed immediately and without any delay.
• Our company is composed with extraordinary team of management and employees who are positive-thinkers and hard achievers ready to embrace changes, hyper automation, and agile business.
Whatwouldyouradvicebeto buddingentrepreneurswhoaspire tostarttheirownventures?
I believe that even the most difficult times always create opportunities for entrepreneurs who can embrace the change. Now is the time when businesses and solo entrepreneurs should have a closer look at business opportunities of the United Arab Emirates as the pandemic has clearly shown us that UAE is among the safest countries in the world.
The government of Emirates is protecting UAE nationals and residents, not just by taking all measures to improve the epidemiological situation in the country, but also by implementing a support framework at both federal and individual Emirate level focused on protecting businesses.
Despite the global crisis caused by the pandemic, the total number of business licenses issued around the UAE in Q2 of 2020 totaled 652,885 according to the statistics from the National Economic Registry of the Ministry of Economy. This means that the UAE remains as attractive as it was in the pre-crisis period. My Business Consulting DMCC, in its turn, can ensure that the company formation in UAE can be a smooth process when you have our experts supporting you with all the requirements for business setup in accordance with UAE laws and requirements.
I can clearly see my company keeping pace with social and technological progress of the UAE and serving our clients at the best level possible to help them find their business grounds and second home in the UAE. The highest quality of our service delivery and high-end customer service commitment to current clients will continue to be our “Job One”. Our main motive is to provide excellent service, helping entrepreneurs succeed in the United Arab Emirates and guide them to a brighter future:
• We will continue to develop the necessary skills of our staff, as well as improve our internal procedures to maximize customer satisfaction rate.
• We will be expanding our corporate services requiring a modern approach to opening and doing business in the UAE.
• 24/7/365 support offering will be presented to all our existing and new clients.
Wheredoyouenvisionyourselfto beinthelongrunandwhatare yourfuturegoalsforyour company?
I believe that even the most difficult times always create opportunities for entrepreneurs who can embrace the change
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“Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.” –Vince Lombardi, American football coach.
No doubt leadership is hard work, but it asks for more – experience and expertise. Leaders are made over the years nurtured and shaped by professional as well as personal experiences. But stepping into leadership requires more than just letting your life experiences wash over you. One of the traits great leaders share is gaining knowledge from their experiences. They keep learning from their failures.
As American comedian and popular talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres has said, “It’s failure that gives you the proper perspective on success.”
Does that mean the experience is the key skill to become a great leader? What role does expertise play in the journey of emerging as a leader? Let’s understand what effect both aspects have in the process of leadership.
Leaders are made not born.
The most challenging experiences whether personal or atwork push you out of your comfort zone. They challenge your abilities and skills to come out of the situation with fewer casualties and more confidence. Although no one would want to spend almost their entire career out-of-comfort-zone, leadership development is nurtured from worthwhile challenges.
Variable experiences strengthen leadership skills. Different people have different experiences, so is the knowledge you derive from these experiences. What matters the most is the quality, quantity, and diversity of the experiences. Not only your professional experiences, your experience beyond your resume, the hardship you face in your personal life and relationships also enhance your leadership skills.
You can shape future experiences. The knowledge you get and the opinion you form reliving your past experiences reflect on your present experiences. Your current experiences can change your perspective about your past experiences. And together they can shape your point of view or actions against a certain situation that shapes your future experiences, consciously seeking the opportunities to grow as a leader.
As Chris Grosser, senior sales consultant at Tesla, says, “Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.”
Domain-related expertise leads the right way. Think about it, the role of a leader goes beyond leading the team. It also involves sound decision-making about external affairs related to clients and market conditions, which requires domain expertise and updated knowledge of market trends.
Not only it helps in decision-making but with the updated domain expertise leaders can anticipate market trends or a certain situation that could create a hurdle or enhance the current opportunity to achieve certain goals – be it a
product launch, business expansion, or enforcing a change of work environment.
Expertise aids in a core responsibility of problem-solving. Problem-solving is among the core responsibilities of leaders. And having sound domain knowledge helps leaders analyse and anticipate the situations and initiate actionoriented decisions with a calm mind.
Expertise inculcates power of trust. Today, not just the power but the ‘power of trust’ has become critical to lead organizations towards success. Employees look up to their team leaders, managers, and the directorial board for their knowledge and how they apply it to make quick and sound decisions. This further helps build trust among employees, which is crucial for them to trust and follow the decision and vision of the leader towards achieving a certain goal.
Experience Vs expertise: what is important? Experience and expertise are not the same traits. You can have years of experience without gaining expertise but not vice versa. Expertise is a combination of skills, knowledge, experience applied to actions and
decisions. It further implies the vision for the future, which makes gaining expertise essential to step into the leadership role.
However, what’s more, important is maintaining the expertise one has gained over time. But how do you maintain expertise? Be a lifetime learner by finding a mentor, engaging in reading, enrolling in organizational as well as independent learning programs.
Experience is a statement of time. However, expertise depicts the value of the knowledge you gained through your experience as well as study and practice. It takes efforts and commitment on the leaders’ part to achieve the traits of lasting value.
As Stephen Covey, American author and businessman has said, “We are the creative force of our life, and through our decisions rather than our conditions, if we carefully learn to do certain things, we can accomplish the goals.”
- Vrushali RF any business leader, having vision and strategy for attaining success, is paramount. A leader who comprehends the importance of these aspects evidently realizes what resources are necessary to efficiently scale their business year on year.
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The following article is about one such successful business leader, Mohammed Rayyan , the Founder and CEO of Dartek Contracting Co LLC
Rayyan is a true visionary and is responsible for developing high quality business strategies and ensuring their alignment with the company’s objectives. “We are a clientoriented contracting company where we frequently sustain the relationship with our clients to provide state-of-the-art projects and solutions,” says Rayyan.
Dartek Contracting, based in UAE, specializes in MEP and Interior works, operating within a large range of sectors
viz., commercial, residential, industrial, education, restaurants, retail, and healthcare.
“The sense of pride in our work and the commitment to deliver the best quality workmanship in all that we undertake remains at the heart of the business today,” says the team at Dartek. This aspect has driven the company to rapidly grow into UAE’s one of the most sought-after contracting companies. The company ceaselessly strives to adapt the business to meet the ever-challenging demands of the industry, employing only the most skilled individuals – from management to the project workforce.
Dartek’s vision is to be one of the most professional and best Interior Fitout and MEP contracting company, and employers of choice all over UAE, with a balance of work across the public and private sectors and a reputation for local knowledge and delivery.
The company’s operations are driven by its core values:
Proactive – We overcome challenges and find sustainable solutions through PROACTIVE solutions.
Profitable – We deliver PROFITABLE results for all.
Partnering – We achieve success through a PARTNERING and collaborative approach.
Professional – We behave in a PROFESSIONAL manner at all times.
Pride – We take PRIDE in all we do and who we are.
Passion – We have a PASSION for safely delivering quality buildings.
Dartek’s expertise lies in providing cutting edge turnkey Interiors Fitout services. The company takes complete responsibility and accountability for all works on site, employing only experts and site labour for its fitout and renovation projects. “We complete complex renovation and fit-out contracts to a high standard, often within challenging timescales,” says Rayyan.
Dartek takes immense pride in being more than just contractors. The company develops close working relationships with its clients. It has the experience in successfully completing fitout projects for Offices, Restaurants, Retail Shops, Schools, and SPAs. It operates a full FF&E procurement and Fitout Services controlling all related trades.
“With our space planning design, your office interior design will be stunning and will make a significant impact in your business,” says the team at Dartek. The team encompasses the capabilities to create an office atmosphere that expresses the personality of clients’ businesses, allowing them to manage their business in optimal configurations, and even keep their back areas organized for the best possible functionality.
Dartek offers a complete furniture solution for offices,
receptions, boardrooms, training rooms, and restaurants. “Based on the project’s needs, the furniture that you select will have the greatest impact on you and your clients. We will help you to develop your workplace to reflect the needs for today and the future,” the team comments.
Working closely with a variety of leading furniture suppliers from within the UAE and Europe enables Dartek to deliver an independent balanced furniture solution. To assist clients further the company’s services also include installation and move management.
Dartek’s Quality Management has been developed as a proprietary industry-leading bench-marking tool, to capture, analyse, and share vital carrier information about carriers’ service and performance.
The company’s Qualitative areas of evaluation include:
Underwriting – including commercial, project start-up documents and resources.
Documents Control – including correspondences, procurement, and policy wordings.
Claims – including cost control, settlement, and technical support.
General Services – including progress reports, material deliveries, HS&E, operations and maintenance manuals, closing-out documents.
Health and Safety is an integral part of Dartek’s internal management system, responsible for oversight and implementation of the company’s health and safety policy. Dartek’s history has demonstrated that the more aligned its local business units, subcontractors and partners are with its safety protocols, which are ideal of loss avoidance, the safer and more successful the project outcome.
Dartek’s Safety Management aspects are:
Injuries are preventable by complying with all the laws of the local government.
Ensure safety prior to commencing a work.
Provide the necessary safety training for all employees and sub-contractors.
Practicing on daily basis where else the work is conducted by provide all safety devices and protective equipment necessary and supervise their use.
The sense of pride in our work and the commitment to deliver the best quality workmanship in all that we undertake remains at the heart of the business today.
Ma’aden is among the fastest-growing mining companies in the world and the largest
multi-commodity mining and metals company in the Middle East. Ma’aden pioneers the mining industry in Saudi Arabia, building a world-class, unique, and fully integrated mining value chain. It is becoming a key player in the long-term diversification of the Saudi Arabian economy.
Mosaed Al Ohali is the CEO and member of the Board of the Saudi Arabian Mining Company Ma’aden. Before this, he worked at SABIC (sales $36Billion) for more than 30 years in various leadership positions including the Executive Vice President Corporate Finance and Group CFO.
He was also appointed to several top-level executive positions including Executive Vice President of the Polymers and Manufacturing business segments, Chief Operating Officer of the SABIC Europe group, and Vice
President of SABIC Fertilizers. In addition, he served and continued to serve as the Chairman/Member of the Board of several SABIC and non-SABIC affiliates and non-profit associations.
In an exclusive interview with Insights Success, Mosaed Al Ohali shares his ideas on the dynamics of Arabian mining industry:
Tell us about Ma’aden, its vision, and mission.
Saudi Arabia’s metals and mining industry is undergoing rapid expansion, inspired by the ambitions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s ‘Vision 2030’. As Saudi Arabia embarks on its journey to diversify its economy, we see the metals and mining industry gaining increasing importance and size as the ‘Third Pillar’ of the Saudi economy (alongside energy and petrochemicals).
The preliminary estimate of Saudi Arabia’s untapped
potential mineral resources is approximately US$1.3 trillion spread over an attractive portfolio of minerals.
Further, to achieve its ambitions, Ma’aden capitalizes on other key inputs abundantly available in Saudi Arabia including sulfur and natural gas as well as the excellent infrastructure of Saudi Arabia which includes the 1600 KM of a railway network connecting the north, central, and east of Saud Arabia.
Ma’aden is on a steady and firm path to become a world leader in phosphatic fertilizers and one of the World’s top diversified mining companies. Ma’aden’s aspirations go beyond profitable and sustainable business to participate in the socio-economic development of remote areas in Saudi Arabia creating jobs and building local content within a robust ESG framework.
Ma’aden’ s vision is to be a ‘Sustainable Mining Champion with Global Presence’. This vision underlines our ambitions to lead the development of the mining industry in Saudi Arabia and monetizing the Kingdom’s mineral resources, while meeting or exceeding the expectations of our stakeholders.
What are/were the challenges you and your team come across in your day-to-day operations?
Since the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak globally, we have all been living in a ‘new reality with unprecedented challenges. Covid-19 caused massive disruption to the supply chain, curbed demand, and resulted in negative growth rates in most of the world's major economies.
In Ma’aden, dealing with Covid-19 was a test of corporate crisis management and I am pleased that we passed with remarkable success building on a very simple three-pillared response strategy of prevention, detection, and isolation.
Our care comprehensively covered everyone working on our premises and the families of our employees.
While successfully mitigating the impact of Covid-19, we continued to focus on safeguarding our EHSS fundamentals (Environment, Health, Safety, and Security) and we managed to maintain a total recordable injury rate of less than 0.22 in 2020, significantly below industry IMMC average or about 0.64. Our positive downward trend in energy, GHG emissions, and net waste generation intensities was maintained in 2020.
Our ESG materiality matrix gives us guidance on where and how we support and promote our ESG goals. In addition to the intensities, we ensure diversity, transparent reporting and we operate with the highest level of integrity.
We recognize the criticality of cybersecurity and we continue to spend on our hardware, systems, and people training and awareness to protect our assets. Being in the commodity business, the key to our success is operational excellence and squeezing the maximum of our assets at the lowest sustainable cost without jeopardizing our EHSS fundamentals.
For the most part, we kept and continue to keep our assets operating at maximum throughput supplying our customers with our products at the time and quantities they require. We leveraged our supply chain strengths with our shipping fleet to maneuver the difficult shipping market during the Covid-19 breakout without significant impact on fulfilling global demand for our products.
In 2020, we completed the design of major projects to fix capacity limitation in our Ma’aden Waad Al Shamaal Phosphate Company (MWSPC) and these projects are now in the execution phase to attain full capacity in early 2022.
We continued our strong focus on growth, and we are currently progressing two major projects. Our Ammonia III project to produce 1.1 Million tons of ammonia is more than 50% complete and should be on stream 1st quarter in 2022.
Our Mansoura and Massarah gold project to produce 0.25 million ounces of gold is more than 35% complete and should be coming on stream with the 2nd quarter of 2022. We are progressing three other major projects that should be starting the construction phases within the next 2 to 3 years.
We realize that technology is the key enabler to our
I believe technology will facilitate more flexible working protocols where employees would work from places and at the time of the day when they are most productive.
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business, and we have embarked on a full upgrade of our ERP system and the full upgrade will be completed this year allowing us further capabilities to use technology solutions to achieve more operational excellence. We continue investing in digital solutions in our exploration, mining, production, processing, and new projects.
We aspire to be the place of choice for our shareholders and investors to put their money. Since our IPO in 2008, through capital appreciation, we offered our shareholders an annualized return (capital appreciation + dividends) of 9.2% better than the average of the local stock market of 2.4% and our industry benchmark between 7%-9%.
Finally, we firmly believe that our real assets are our people. In todays’ market, winners are those who attract and maintain top talent and create a work environment that enables the employees to unleash their individual and collective talents.
We continue to implement robust talent development programs for our professionals and leaders involving customized individual and team development plans, job rotations and specialize assignments.
Being an experienced leader, share with us your opinion on how the adaptation of novel technologies has transformed the world of business and what more could be expected in the near future?
Smart technologies are transforming business models across industries and sectors. Many companies, mining included, are expanding their profit margins, optimizing value chains, growing portfolio, and integrating operating units via implementation of integrated intelligent solutions.
Technological advances allow for much robust control of the physics and chemistry of production operations to cut down on waste and maximize desired output. Technology advances also allow for smarter man-machine interface so that decisions are faster and smarter.
We are increasingly deploying technology solution in our exploration activities to reduce cost while achieving more accurate resource modeling. Management of our dirt moving heavy equipment is increasing enabled by technology leading to lower cost, higher throughput for the same assets and better environmental performance.
We leverage technology in our processing plants to enhance reliability, lower cost and minimize off-spec. For example,
we leverage technology solution in our equipment inspection to perform deeper inspection on-line and with much enhanced safety and environmental performance. For major technical equipment, we leverage digital twin technology to understand and control performance of our assets to achieve targeted output at lowest sustainable cost. We look for technology investments to achieve significant rate of return and contribute significantly to our total cost reduction by double digit percentages.
We will continue to implement company-wide digital transformation initiatives to enhance our data acquisition and analytical capabilities, because we believe that the future is for those who have and use the data in a smart way.
Technology has many good advantages and certainly one of them is creating a more exciting work environment that provides aspirational career opportunities. Via automation and robotics, employees get rich jobs that offer higher intellectual content.
In the farming space where we sell our products and solutions, we see technology reshaping the fertilizer markets. The precise application of fertilizers while to some degree rationalizing demand, is leading to more innovative fertilizers solutions with much enhanced value add and demanding higher price premiums.
Ma’aden is responding to the technology advancement and gradually increasing the percentage of specialized fertilizers in our total fertilizer’s portfolio.
Taking into consideration, the current pandemic, and its impact on global economies, how are you driving your organization to sustain operations and ensuring the safety of your employees at the same time?
Our first and foremost concern is keeping our employees and our contractors safe, always. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, Ma’aden has implemented a simple yet very powerful three-pillared strategy of protection, detection, and isolation.
We worked in full coordination with other regulatory and business partners in the communities we operate within to successfully execute a community-wide plan to deal with Covid-19. Our partners included the Ministry of Health, Royal Commission, Governors, Contractors, and system companies.
We looked after our worksites and our and contractors’ residential camps and extended our care to the families of our employees. We track daily the infection rate of our employees and contractors and have successfully managed to keep below 1.7 per 1000 person.
At the early stage of the Covid-19 spread, we moved to operate with more than 70% of our employees working remotely and the transition was managed well, and our IT structure was proven robust.
Through efficient management of work schedule, we managed to organize our critical workforce to ensure 24X7 coverage of our all-critical jobs with back-ups as needed. As a result, our base operations ran reliably, and our supply chain ran uninterrupted to serve our customers.
Our major projects were slightly impacted due to the part of the work that is done out-side Saudi Arabia and because of travel restrictions into Saud Arabia and we are working closely with our contractors to mitigate this impact.
As I progressed in the corporate ranks and through my 30+ years of professional experience, I find always that winners are those who believe in themselves and operate with a sense of urgency close to the edge. The arc of a personal career would bend towards his or her fulfilled aspirations.
Successful leaders have one thing in common, they integrate well their physics, spirit, and intellectual with amble energy. My advice is to dare. If you succeed, you move forward and if you make a mistake, you become a better person by learning from the mistake and more cable to succeed the next time around.
Most importantly, one has to believe that success is never individual but comes in the context of a team or a community. Therefore, always associate with others who have a track record of success and team players. In Ma’aden, our values are simple, Integrity, Care, Teamwork, and Ownership.
With these values, we create a community and culture that drives success.
I believe mining offers strong financial rewards and brings a
better quality of life to where it operates and specially to remote societies.
Playing at the interface of nature, business, society, and regulations, mining is the right place for entrepreneurs who aspire to make financial returns through innovative engineering of how these four parties integrate together so that everyone is a big winner.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run and what are your future goals for your company?
Ma’aden is making steady progress toward achieving its ‘Strategy 2030’, in terms of growth and diversification to become a sustainable mining champion with a global presence.
Ma’aden has a very healthy profit and loss model that it shall leverage to continue its growth.
The healthy P&L shall help us bring our currently high leverage to a market norm of around 2X. We aim to double our revenue in the next ten years building on monetizing Saudi Arabia's mineral resources and will consider growth outside Saudi Arabia. We will drive our growth and we will seek equal partners to grow together because we believe in partnership.
We are happy with our current partners SABIC, ALCOA, MOSAIC, and BARRICK. Fundamental to our sustainable success is our strong realization that our People are the real assets of Ma’aden and that maintenance of world-class Environmental, Health, Safety, and Security (EHSS) performance is the only way to succeed in business. The P-EHSS is the pillar of our success.
Technology advancement whether process technology or information technology will change our organizational model and create flat organizations where more critical and strategic decisions will be taken in a more collective manner and at a lower level of the organization. And of course, organizations will be much more digitally enabled.
