The company is helping clients save time and money by deploying cutting-edge technology, localising workmanship, and ensuring swift mobilisation across the Kingdom

ACIC, a leading Saudi-based contractor, is redefining industrial maintenance and turnaround services across Saudi Arabia.

With hundreds of skilled professionals and fully equipped hubs across the Kingdom, the company ensures rapid mobilisation and high-quality service delivery. Over the years, it has earned a strong reputation for safety, reliability, and innovation in the energy sector.

In an exclusive interview with OGN energy magazine, Gauri Shankar Pareek, Managing Director, and Siddharth Pareek, Business Development Manager, explain how ACIC stands out in the competitive industrial services market by offering fully in-house end-to-end solutions and introducing innovative cleaning technology.

Below are excerpts from the interview:

Can you briefly introduce ACIC to our readers?

Gauri Shankar Pareek: ACIC is a Saudi-based contractor founded in 2011, delivering industrial maintenance, turnarounds, and specialised services.

We employ over 1,200 professionals and operate fully equipped hubs in Jubail, Yanbu, and Jizan, ensuring fast mobilisation across the Kingdom.

We have executed more than 40 major turnarounds at leading facilities, with peak manpower reaching 1,800 at SASREF, 1,700 at Petro Rabigh, and 1,000 at SAMREF.

Our long-term partnerships with SASREF, SAMREF, Sadara, Advanced Petrochemical, and Tasnee reflect the trust that clients place in us as a safe, reliable partner.

What differentiates ACIC’s services in the market?

Gauri Shankar Pareek: Our strength lies in delivering end-to-end solutions fully in-house, without overreliance on subcontractors.

This gives clients faster mobilisation, consistent quality, and cost savings of up to 15 per cent.

Our key services include:

• Ultrasonic cleaning: Reduces manpower needs by 50 per cent and accelerates turnaround schedules by more than 50 per cent. We have successfully demonstrated its effectiveness in Saudi Arabia, with over 300 bundles cleaned for SAMREF, SATORP, Petro Rabigh, SABIC, and Aramco.

• Decontamination: Our vapour-phase technology completes full units in less than 48 hours using eco-friendly, biodegradable chemicals.

• Bolting solutions (JV with Atlas Copco): World-class torquing, tensioning, and flange management.

• EPC pre-commissioning and commissioning support: Including chemical cleaning, lube oil flushing, preservation, pressure testing, and catalyst handling.

• Pipeline and fabrication: ASME-certified with ‘U’, ‘S’, and ‘R’ stamps.

• Equipment rental and turnarounds: Fleet of HP jetting pumps, vacuum trucks, cranes, and the ability to deliver lump-sum block turnarounds.

Unlike many competitors who subcontract ultrasonic or decontamination services, ACIC has in house service and manpower, ensuring consistency, rapid response, and measurable cost efficiency.

What are some of ACIC’s recent accomplishments?

Siddharth Pareek: One of our highlights was a summer 2025 refinery turnaround, where we cleaned 150 bundles using ultrasonic technology.

Siddharth Pareek

The project finished 140 hours ahead of schedule, directly reducing downtime and cost for the client.

We are also proud of:

• Five-year blanket maintenance contracts awarded by SASREF, SAMREF, Sadara, Advanced Petrochemical, and Tasnee.

• SASREF’s ‘Contractor of the Year’ award for four consecutive years.

• Over 10 million safe manhours without lost time injury (LTI).

• Introducing ultrasonic cleaning to the Kingdom, with over 300 bundles cleaned for top operators.

Ultrasonic cleaning is relatively new in KSA. What benefits are clients seeing?

Siddharth Pareek: Ultrasonic cleaning is transforming shutdown efficiency in multiple ways:

• Precision: 360-degree cleaning of exchangers, tubes, valves, filters, and column packings, even in hard-to-reach areas.

• Safety: Minimises high-pressure jetting and confined space entry.

• Speed: Bundles can be cleaned within 24 hours versus multiple days with hydro jetting.

• ROI: Requires 50 per cent less manpower, enables faster restart, and reduces chemical use.

• Sustainability: Uses less water and produces lower effluent discharge, directly supporting clients’ ESG goals.

Our 2025 case study, where 150 bundles were cleaned and 140 hours saved, proves how ultrasonic cleaning is redefining shutdown execution in Saudi Arabia.

What is ACIC’s forward-looking strategy?

Gauri Shankar Pareek: We are fully aligned with Vision 2030 and Saudi Arabia’s localisation priorities, including achieving a 50 per cent score in our local content programme through sustained investment in innovation, localisation, and talent development.

Our ambition is clearly to be recognised as the go-to contractor for industrial turnarounds and EPC pre-commissioning and commissioning services across the Kingdom.

Our roadmap includes:

• Expanding ultrasonic cleaning and advanced bolting solutions as core differentiators in shutdown and maintenance.

• Introducing new cutting-edge technologies in the industrial maintenance sector, positioning ACIC as a champion in our field.

• Deepening support for EPC contractors by providing integrated, end-to-end pre-commissioning and commissioning services.

• Training and empowering young Saudi engineers to take leadership roles in projects, ensuring a sustainable local talent pipeline.

• Increasing local sourcing, with at least 50 per cent of our value chain sourced within the Kingdom.

By driving these initiatives, ACIC is shaping a future defined by innovation, localisation, and excellence, while strengthening our role as a trusted partner in Saudi Arabia’s evolving energy landscape.

Do you have any message for OGN readers and your clients?

Siddharth Pareek: ACIC stands for safety, innovation, and reliability at scale.

Over the years, we have successfully executed more than 40 major turnarounds, achieved over 10 million safe manhours without a Lost Time Injury (LTI), and consistently delivered measurable savings in time and cost by doing in-house what many others outsource.

We take pride in shaping smarter, safer, and more sustainable operations for Saudi Arabia’s energy sector. Looking ahead, we remain committed to being a trusted partner, driving excellence and long-term value for our clients in the decade to come.