SIEMENS has emerged as one of the leading international companies to make a significant contribution in the making of modern Saudi Arabia. “Since the 1930s, when the country imported its first power plant equipment, Siemens has contributed extensively to the development of the country’s infrastructure, its growth and its exceptional march to a modern economy,” said Christian Selch, Siemens’ CEO, speaking on the occasion of the German National Day and welcoming German Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier to the Kingdom.
“One-third of the power used in the Kingdom is generated and distributed by Siemens today,” said Selch. Siemens, he said, has set up a high-tech signaling and communication infrastructure on the Riyadh-Dammam rail track, which would be used by the Saudi Railway Organization (SRO) this week. This new system is a prelude to what Siemens can offer to the Kingdom. “Not only this, Siemens is also setting up a prestigious power project for King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC),” he said. He added that the Tadawul-listed company, Emaar Economic City (Emaar EC), signed an MoU for this power generation grid, which is to be completed in June 2010. In fact, Siemens’ involvement in power utility installation, public and private hospitals, railway technology plants, and projects in countless other industries is an amazing story of Siemens’ track record in the Kingdom, he added.
In its over 75 years of business relations with Saudi Arabia, Siemens can flaunt a proven record of successful projects in important areas like energy, industry, and health care, to name a few.
Referring to the strengths of the company, Selch said that the Siemens family is a group of dedicated and talented individuals who come from all walks of life, from different backgrounds and different nationalities, but all united under a single vision of making a difference in the world through their everyday work.
The company today, he said, supports the careers of young Saudis through targeted professional recruitment and training programs. Siemens’ vision for Saudi Arabia is to become a leading electrical infrastructure supplier in the Kingdom.
He said that Siemens is committed to transferring knowledge and developing local expertise in Saudi Arabia. Siemens’ aim is to assist the Kingdom as it moves towards playing a leading role in the international arena via its breakthrough systems in areas of industry, energy, and health care, he added. Siemens, he said, is also gender sensitive and supports the government’s efforts to effect social change in the country by actively recruiting Saudi women.
The company is a pioneer in hiring Saudi women and is “always looking to hire more as we believe in the importance of diversity and in the value that women employees can add to the company.” “Since Siemens doesn’t discriminate against gender, race, color or ethnicity, we offer women great career opportunities,” he added.
In reply to a question on how Siemens helps in developing Saudi society in terms of industry, energy and health care, the CEO said, “We are all facing the challenge of providing safe, reliable and environmentally sustainable power generation, oil and gas solutions as well as efficient transmission and distribution.
“Siemens is making an important contribution to providing solutions, with future-oriented technologies for the construction, modernization and expansion of power systems at all voltage levels. In the energy sector, outstanding growth opportunities with renewable energies synergies across the integrated technology company are a key contributor to the energy sector’s leadership in sustainable growth markets.”
Siemens is the only company worldwide that can leverage the experience, know-how and career path in certain sectors, he said. “This means, for our employees, customers, stakeholders as well for society, we deliver performance and tangible sustainable value business results, offer challenging jobs around the globe and a strong business partner providing unique competitive edge,” he added. “Our people make the difference.”
Referring to the growth of Saudi Arabia on all fronts, he said that the rapidly increasing population of this country and its growing industrial base is creating high energy demands. The industrial sector, he said, is experiencing an increasing emphasis on improving processes and optimizing life-cycle costs. In today’s environment, manufacturers must look for new ways to minimize costs, while meeting all conventional requirements for safety, operational reliability and supply stability. Siemens understands the changing needs of the manufacturing and process industries.
“Our extensive process know-how, technological expertise and vertical market experience in multiple industries allow us to intelligently integrate the best available applications and processes into customized solutions that provide the greatest customer benefit, such as postal automation, water technologies, security and fire,” said the Siemens chief. “From high-voltage switchgear to thermocouples, from process control systems to management information systems, we provide the entire spectrum of electrical engineering and information technology — all from a single source.”
“We also offer hardware and software tailored to specific processes in a wide range of industries, including mining, steel, oil and gas, petrochemicals, cement, water and waste water. Based on advanced IT solutions, our process technology controls a multitude of onshore oil and gas fields, offshore platforms, pipelines, refineries and petrochemical processing plants,” he added.
The high quality of health care in the Kingdom is one of the country’s major achievements in recent years. Siemens — with its longstanding presence, professional market organization and extensive range of products and services — has substantially contributed to this success.
As a leading supplier of medical equipment worldwide, Siemens offers more than 7,000 devices and systems for diagnostics and treatment. “Our innovations make us a pace-setter in the health-care industry,” said Selch. “In Saudi Arabia, Siemens utilizes the worldwide resources of its medical engineering activities and as a local partner, it provides customer support, engineering and project management.” He added. “We have been involved in developing optimal solutions for various government agencies including the ministries of health, defense, and education as well as the National Guard, universities, research centers, and the thriving private sector.”
Siemens’ high-tech solutions support health-care professionals in their efforts to provide the most precise diagnoses and appropriate therapies possible. This approach, he thinks, benefits patients as well as reduces health-care costs. In 2007, sales to customers in the Kingdom amounted to more than 828 million euros. New orders totaled 564 million euros. Siemens in Saudi Arabia currently has more than 1,500 employees representing 31 different nationalities. This year, Siemens has achieved notable results.