http://www.mepmiddleeast.comNEWS UPDATE
RESEARCH FACILITY
Baker Hughes General Electric
(BHGE) and Saudi Aramco have
cut the ribbon on a research facil-
ity at Dhahran Techno Valley – a
centre that offi cials say verges
on science fi ction.
The facility is home to the fi rst
industr y 3D printer for metal in
Saudi Arabia, as well as a data
visualisation and automation plat-
form designed to help simulate
and optimise well activity and
construction.
The Visualisation Lab, as it will
be known, is able to absorb data
from multiple sources to create
a digital twin of the planned well
and its surrounding ecosystem.
This will in turn enable plan-
ners to run multiple predictive
simulations and workfl ows to op-
timise the construction process.
Saudi Aramco’s vice president
of petroleum engineering and
development, Nasir Al Naimi,
expects the technology and stra-
tegic impact of the new centre
to signifi cantly upgrade Saudi
Aramco’s capabilities to project
manage, design, manufacture,
and commission hardware and
software.
He said: “This centre will be a
gamechanger in ways that many
of us would have considered sci-
ence fi ction at the beginning of
our careers.
“Saudi Aramco and BHGE
have a long histor y of working
together. We appreciate BHGE’s
wholehearted commitment to the
kingdom and to supporting Saudi
Aramco in its operations.
“In a way, I believe the strength
of this relationship comes from
a fundamental alignment of the
technology roadmaps between
The facility at Dhahran Techno Valley has been opened by BHGE and Saudi Aramco. Saudi Aramco and BHGE.”MARKETS
Consumer electronics distributor
Blue Ocean Group is turning its
attention to the British market
ahead of the countr y’s divorce
from the European Union.
The Dubai-based group, which
also distributes domestic appli-
ances, telecom equipment and
fashion accessories, has set up
an offi ce in London to ser ve a
growing online and physical dis-
tribution market.
Shahzad Ahmed, chairman
and CEO of Blue Ocean Group,
described the move as a “golden
opportunity”.
“This is a strategic move by
the Blue Ocean Group to tap
the growing opportunities in the
United Kingdom as it leaves the
European Union this year,” he
said.
“Our expansion into the UK
market will also help us to pro-
mote and sell the UAE’s home-
grown electronic products in theUK and help boost UAE exports
to – and imports from – the UK.
“This provides a golden oppor-
tunity for UAE businesses to tap
new markets and help their busi-
nesses grow.”
Blue Ocean Group has re-
ported more than 20% growth
year-on-year since its inception
in 2013, and its latest strategy
seeks to tap into a consumer
electronics market in the UK
that is estimated reach a valueof $20.82billion in 2020, accord-
ing to global business tracker
Statista.
“As the market shifts from
physical and offl ine distribution
to online and app-based mobile
channels, we are also shifting
gear of our distribution busi-
ness to these channels in order
to reach the end-user customers
faster,” Ahmed said.
“Despite challenging econom-
ic conditions in different parts
of the world, the Blue Ocean
Group companies are penetrat-
ing deeper into the market with
international brands and help-
ing them to grow with us in the
UAE, as well as our international
distribution network across 40
countries.”Britain’s divorce from European Union represents
“golden opportunity” for Blue Ocean Group
‘Research centre will be a gamechanger’
Visualisation Lab at Baker Hughes General Electric facility able to absorb data from
multiple sources to create digital twin of project and puts planners in ‘sci-fi’ territory
8 MEP Middle East | A u g u s t 2 0 1 9
The consumer electronics distributor has reported more than 20% growth
year-on-year since its inception in 2013 and now eyes British market
BITESBITES
The CEO of China State
Engineering and Construction
Middle East says he is excited
to be making progress on the
federal Etihad Rail project.
Yu Tao said: “I think this
is a new chapter and we are
ver y excited.”