Friday 15 / November / 2024
Muscat: Oman is a market that is brimming with opportunities across different sectors, particularly in energy, said the newly appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Siemens Middle East and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Due to the population growth people need new homes, which we can help by supplying electricity with more energy efficiency, she said, adding that the power sector is rapidly growing in Oman, Al Rifai added.
Siemens Technology
Siemens Technology has helped Oman save 31 per cent of its gas in power generation and our technology saves a big percentage of Oman’s gas reserves for export rather than for power generation,” newly appointed CFO Alia Al Rifai told the Times of Oman in an exclusive interview.
“Energy efficiency will remain a key topic in Oman and other GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries. Our technology can provide innovative solutions to customers to protect their investments. This is where our innovation comes in and we can add value to our customers,” she added.
Speaking about the current business of Siemens during the economic downturn, Al Rifai said, “We will continue doing what we do best—supply great technology and create value for the region’s countries.”
“Our company’s Vision 2020 is also very much in line with the ambitions of local countries to look at energy efficiency and their economies after oil. We want to help them implement those visions with the right technologies,” CFO Al Rifai added.
Speaking about her new role in Siemens as its CFO, Al Rifai said, “I’m very excited about taking on my new responsibilities. We have a lot of potential to strengthen our presence in the region, which continues to present great opportunities for Siemens across different sectors.”
“My job is to continue building on our past successes, focusing on different topics, including people development, energy efficiency and digitalisation,” she added.
The key areas that Al Rifai is looking to strengthen at Siemens in this region is to build and develop local talent, creating a strong sustainable presence in the region and building long lasting partnerships.
Healthy competition
According to the new CFO, competition is very healthy in the region.
“Siemens has been in the region for a long time and we’re here to stay. We have a long-term strategy and are fully committed to the region. The region is full of opportunities and we have the right technologies to help our customers meet current market challenges across different sectors,” Al Rifai said.
With Al Rifai’s career at Siemens spanning close to two decades, she had witnessed the growth of Siemens in the region.
“We have strengthened our local presence in the region and specifically GCC countries tremendously. We have local presence in every country and we play a major role in the different sectors we operate in,” she stated.
“Our workforce has expanded to more than 6,000 people, who are based in the region. This has made us closer to our customers and helped us understand their requirements and serve them faster and better,” she added.
“Siemens in the region has grown along with the countries it operates in, assisting them with their infrastructure development and contributing to local value creation. We look forward to doing more and to assisting countries in their drive towards economic diversification and building knowledge-based economies,” she further said.
