In what is seen as a calculated move, the company will set up manufacturing units in the UAE with the support of global partners to ensure knowledge transfer and boost localisation

As the UAE drives ahead with its national sustainability agenda, one local company is taking the lead in standing shoulder to shoulder to achieve those goals from the ground up.
The Projects & Engineering Services Division (PESD) of Al Masaood Group’s Industrial, one of the UAE’s leading business con-glomerates, is launching innovative technologies and creating strategic partnerships to support the local manufacturing sector in line with the UAE’s industrialisation strategy and ‘Make it in the Emirates’ campaign.
In what is seen as a calculated move, Al Masaood PESD will establish local manufacturing units with the support of its global part-ners to ensure knowledge transfer and boost localisation.
In this regard, announcements were made at this year’s Adipec in Abu Dhabi, where the Division showcased a number of innova-tive products and integrated tech-powered solutions to promote sustainability.
At the event, Al Masaood PESD signed several agreements, including the renewal of its partnership with South Korea’s S&W to supply high-performance valves for the oil and gas industry, as well as the power, nuclear, and utilities sectors. The agreement grants Al Masaood PESD exclusive rights to supply S&W’s products in the region.
The division aims to acquire the expertise of the valve manufacturing major – which has state-of-the-art facilities in its home coun-try – to produce locally in the UAE. The facility is expected to be established in 2023 in Abu Dhabi. “We will be establishing a foundry in the UAE in collaboration with S&W, and are currently working on a business plan,” Dr Khursheed Alam, Senior Manager for Al Masaood PESD, tells Abdulaziz Khattak of OGN energy magazine.
In another agreement signed at ADIPEC, Al Masaood PESD will build manufacturing facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through a joint venture (JV) with Pan Gulf Holding (Gulf Specialized Works), one of the largest holding companies in the Kingdom.
The Division will utilise Pan Gulf Holding (GSW)’s facilities to manufacture modular housing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for all sectors.
According to Alam, the project will help Al Masaood PESD secure a foothold in the Kingdom and get closer to local customers. The mutually beneficial agreement will also see both companies provide each other’s services in their respective markets. It’s worth not-ing that Al Masaood PESD is already active in the Saudi market with a number of contacts underway.

ACCELERATING ENERGY TRANSITION
Al Masaood Projects & Engineering Services Division has been providing solutions and expertise to several vital sectors including nuclear and hydrogen in the move to embrace clean and renewable energy that can meet the demand and deliver a sustainable and effective power generation method.
Over the years, the company has taken the lead in the implementation of key initiatives and programmes aimed at highlighting the importance of clean energy.
Recently, Al Masaood PESD said it was in talks with the France-based company which specialises in nuclear plant maintenance. Alam states: “This will be a new venture to provide complete solutions for nuclear power plants. We have already signed the memo-randum of understanding, and we hope to sign an agreement by the end of December.”
Although Al Masaood PESD currently supplies nuclear equipment, this agreement will further boost its market position as it will be able to offer complete service solutions to nuclear plants. “The partnership will allow Al Masaood PESD to provide the full range of the former’s resources, expertise, and services locally. All mechanical-related equipment and services will also be offered. The agreement also includes manufacturing as well as onsite maintenance and services,” Alam explains.
Separately, Al Masaood PESD has entered into a strategic partnership with the Indian company TubeFit to deliver hydrogen equipment fittings for storage and transportation to the UAE market.
Meanwhile, in another first in the country, the division will be introducing state-of-the-art analysers technology through Israeli com-pany 4IR Solutions. This year’s Adipec featured the Al Masaood principal at its stand.
4IR Solutions’ NMR Analyzer is used in industrial process applications to provide non-contact, real-time monitoring and closed-loop control of the physical properties and chemical composition of materials in industrial process applications. The distribution agree-ment enables Al Masaood PESD to offer 4IR’s AI-60 process analysers in the UAE and hopefully to deploy the technology at ADNOC refineries.

FUTURE OUTLOOK AND SUSTAINABILITY GOALS
Over the course of its 50-year history, Al Masaood PESD, one of the Industrial arms of Al Masaood Group, has made significant contributions to the development of the UAE’s oil and gas industry. Its expertise and technology are not limited to the oil and gas in-dustry, but are also available to the petrochemical, fertiliser, nuclear and power sectors.
Al Masaood PESD’s solutions and expertise include the full range of processes, static and rotating equipment for both existing and greenfield projects, along with onsite service activities.  In the UAE, the Division has two manufacturing facilities: one in Abu Dhabi for fabrication and package manufacturing and the other in Dubai. Currently, the Division is working on many brownfield and green-field projects with Adnoc, supplying static and rotating process equipment to Adnoc and other EPCs.
Needless to say, Al Masaood PESD is fully aligned with and dedicated to the UAE’s national sustainability goals. “Given that the UAE government and Adnoc are our key partners, it only makes sense to collaborate on sustainability,” Alam concluded.
In conclusion, growth is a constant for Al Masaood PESD and value creation an imperative. Its further plans include establishing manufacturing units that cater to various industrial segments, such as pumps, motors, fabrications of skids and pressure vessels, and retrofit activities for any brownfield project.
All of this is aimed at fostering sustainability and new technology through localisation, buttressed by partnership agreements with various global brands to better serve the sectors in the UAE market.