Specialist energy talent acquisition group Petroplan has boosted its activities in Saudi Arabia as the business strengthens and evolves its global offering.

Following a contractual agreement with national oil company Saudi Aramco in 2019, and a newly developed senior leadership team, Petroplan is exploring a number of significant opportunities in the country.

As one of the few global energy talent providers, Petroplan is working on several projects in the Kingdom and expanding into the EPC market, based in the Eastern province.

Delays caused by the pandemic have led to increased pressure to find appropriately qualified personnel, with local and international operators competing for a limited talent pool.

James O’Neill, Petroplan’s Regional Manager for the Middle East, is leading the group’s drive into KSA. He has over 18 years of experience in technical staffing, primarily for large-scale energy projects in the region.

"The Saudi market is evolving quickly and Petroplan is ahead of the curve. We are set to see the kingdom's energy markets diversify rapidly in the coming years as the search for renewable energy adds to existing oil and gas demand," stated O' Neill.

Petroplan, he stated, is working with a significant number of energy companies in Saudi Arabia and across the globe to help place top talent in specialist roles.

"We are constantly meeting with new and existing clients and have recently launched several complex recruitment campaigns. This follows our appointment of a Business Development Manager to assist clients in the region and to specifically support our growth in Saudi Arabia," he added.

The group’s expansion in KSA coincides with Saudi Vision 2030, a strategic framework to reduce the country’s dependence on oil, meet net-zero targets and diversify its economy.

According to him, Petroplan will play a key role in the country’s energy transition, supporting client projects for the new city Neom, which is currently being built on a carbon-free ecosystem of renewable energy sources including hydrogen, solar and wind.

CEO Christopher Honeyman Brown said: "Market activity in Saudi Arabia is set to increase dramatically in the next decade, and Petroplan will be at the forefront to support this energy revolution and meet the demand for talent solutions."

"We invest and expand where we see the best opportunities to deliver exceptional client solutions. The strategic shift in the longer-term Saudi Arabian energy market has great synergy with our own business development strategy and it presents a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the depth and quality of our services," he added.