On Monday 13th December, Serco Middle East led a panel discussion on the opportunities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s service sector. The event, held at the British Embassy in Riyadh, was organised as a collaborative effort between Serco Middle East, the Riyadh Group for British Business (RGBB), and the Department for International Trade (DIT).
The panel discussion covered key topics including: the increased focus on technology in delivering facility operations and maintenance, the collaborative effort between international and local talent, and what the future looks like for operating and maintaining assets throughout the project lifecycle, whilst maintaining continuous improvement. The panel was facilitated by Serco Middle East Consultant Grant Agnew, who is based in KSA and currently embedded within the Government Expenditure and Projects Efficiency Authority (EXPRO).
Agnew was joined on the panel by Design Director for Dar Al Riyadh Greg Bell who, based on his 10 years in KSA, answered questions from the perspective of planning, design and delivery.
Serco Middle East Chief Digital Officer Paul Bogan was also present and spoke candidly about some of the challenges and opportunities that the organisation is seeing whilst providing assets and facilities management support to clients in the Kingdom. He said: ‘During the past 10 years, more than at any other time, we have seen an increased expectation on the quality of services, the adoption of technology and a real focus on sustainability.’
Serco’s Grant Agnew, who has lived and worked in KSA for almost 5 years said: “The event was a huge success. It offered professionals who are committed to KSA, the ability to meet in person and discuss market conditions. The fact that Serco was leading the discussion is testament to the collective focus that we have placed on supporting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with its ambitious plans to diversify its economy. Assets and facilities management sits at the heart of those ambitions, alongside collaboration with the local market. These were key themes that arose on the evening, and they align with the Serco Middle East strategy”.
Over 70 people were in attendance and represented British, Saudi and international companies operating in the service sector, giga projects and the UK Department of International Trade.