Sustainability has been at the forefront of Arabian Qudra’s operations since it was established in 1987. Since then, the company has diversified and evolved to add maximum value to the Saudi Arabian economy. President Ali Al Jameel explained more, during an in-depth interview with Inside Sustainability. Report by Imogen Ward.
Since Saudi Arabia first implemented i ts strategic Vision 2030 programme back in 2016, the country has been focused on reforming the public sector, the economy and Saudi society more broadly. In an effort to help progress this vision, Arabian Qudra has established itself as an essential cog in the country’s drive to create a more diversified economy.
“Arabian Qudra is a pioneer within the Saudi Arabian market, standing out as one of the few companies in the country to feature full in-house capabilities for the engineering, procurement and construction of solar power plants,” said President Ali Al Jameel. “We have since progressed on a continuous path of development in order to maximise our values and have
a significant impact on the sustainability of Saudi Arabia.”
Initially established in 1987 through a joint venture between Leroy-Somer and parent company Abunayyan Holding Group, Arabian Qudra has remained steadfast in its approach to improving sustainability nationwide.
“Being a sustainability enabler, we are always looking for new ways to improve our carbon footprint and protect the environment,” explained Mr Al Jameel. “We save energy and water whenever and wherever possible. We have also planted trees around our facility and are in the process of installing a new solar system on our facility roof, which will be commissioned later this year.”
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As part of this commitment to boosting sustainability within the Saudi Arabian economy, Arabian Qudra has also implemented several key expansions.
“In 2016, we established a solar department in response to an increasing demand for expertise in the field of solar energy, particularly focusing in on the C&I segment,” said Mr Al Jameel.
The company expanded once more in 2018, with the creation of its energy efficiency department. This led to Arabian Qudra becoming one of the first SEEC approved Saudi Energy Services Companies in the Kingdom. Since then, the company has saved more than 245GWh of electricity by providing customers with a full value chain of energy saving projects, from comprehensive energy audits and identification of energy saving measures to retrofits, measurement, verification and reporting jobs.
Strong roots
Although Arabian Qudra’s capabilities have expanded somewhat, it still maintains a strong presence in the motor market.
Just last year, the company became a Certified Service Facility forthe repair and overhaul of flameproof and nonsparking motors.
According to Mr Al Jameel this has been hugely beneficial: “This opened Arabian Qudra up to a huge pool of potential business. It was also a prerequisite for getting into business with SABIC and other petrochemical companies.”
Arabian Qudra was also chosen as the official service partner for Siemens Motor Repair and Services – a testament to the company’s excellent capabilities.
“Being selected by Siemens as an authorised service partner reflects how capable and qualified we truly are,” commented Mr Al Jameel. “The aftersales
service is a very important factor for the success of any equipment manufacturer, and there are a lot of examples of manufac turers who produce very high-quality equipment but have lost their market share because of their poor aftersales service.
“Being a service partner for Siemens has afforded us the privilege of a technical knowhow transfer between Siemens and Arabian Qudra. This has enabled us to widen our footprint whilst also increasing our market share.”
Savings with solar
As part of its dedication to improving the sustainability of Saudi Arabia, Arabian Qudra developed and executed an off-grid project for Saudi ARAMCO in 2022. This project was based in the Eastern region and involved a solar power system capable of powering one of the company’s many gas well sites.
“For this project, we combined our capabilities in the fields of solar and energy efficiency to provide Saudi ARAMCO with as many cost-effective energy savings as possible,” said Mr Al Jameel. “We were actually able to save the company 50 per cent of the energy consumption previously consumed by the electrical loads of the gas well.”
The system was built with practicality in mind. Running on a concept of minimal maintenance, it incorporates unique cooling technology and batteries that are entirely maintenance free. All solar panel cleaning is also completely automated.
“The system has been in operation for more than two years now with zero faults, and we are really proud of its performance,” added Mr Al Jameel.
A collaborative vision
According to Mr Al Jameel, none of this would have been possible without Arabian Qudra’s partners: “We consider
our suppliers and partners to be the most important element of our journey to success. Our suppliers have a direct impact on the quality of our projects and the sustainable growth of the business more broadly. That’s why it is essential that we care for them and keep them invested in meeting the demands of our customers.”
More recently, Arabian Qudra has been working closely with its overseas partners, to help them create a local footprint within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This would be hugely beneficial to both the chain and the Kingdom.
Every step Arabian Qudra makes towards improving its own sustainability – and that of its clients – is another step towards meeting that vision, and the company fully intends to continue this path for the foreseeable future.
“We are working to implement several strategic initiatives: all of which are focused on growth through both horizontal and vertical integration and localisation,” said
Mr Al Jameel, in conclusion. “For us, the sky is truly the limit; wherever the future takes us, we will continue to grow the business through diversification and regional expansion, which will aid in our mission of providing maximum value to Saudi Arabia.” n
