The three companies will support the Kingdom’s manufacturers through digital transformation to improve productivity gains and reduce costs
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 6 May 2021: Schneider Electric and AVEVA have signed an Alliance Partner agreement with Obeikan Digital Solutions (ODS). The partnership will support Saudi Arabia’s industrial sector, and the three companies will collaborate to help the Kingdom’s factories on their path to Industry 4.0 through digital transformation.
Part of the Obeikan Group, ODS offers case-tailored digital solution products and industrial apps for logistics, utility reliability, compliance management, spare part management, organizational optimization and audit management. The company has worked to transform dozens of manufacturers across Saudi Arabia through digital technologies.
The three companies will collaborate to roll out proof-of-concept projects; Schneider Electric’s and AVEVA’s Internet-of-Things hardware and cloud-based software will be complemented by local expertise from ODS.
“Obeikan and ODS have a vision of transforming Saudi Arabia’s manufacturing capabilities through technology and digitalization,” said Abdallah Obeikan, ODS. “Schneider Electric and AVEVA share this belief in how technologies such as the Internet-of-Things and cloud computing can make plants smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable. We want to accelerate the nation’s manufacturing sector through technology, and we’re excited about this partnership.
Smart manufacturing technologies have the potential to reshape how factories operate. Concepts such as 5G, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) can drastically decrease equipment downtime by as much as 50% and increase overall equipment effectiveness by a double-digit percentage.
“The next generation of manufacturing will use digital technologies to connect every machine on the plant floor, collect data streams and analyze that information in real time to improve efficiency, increase safety, and reduce energy and water usage,” said Oseid Faqih, Industrial Automation VP, Schneider Electric. “Obeikan is a leader in this space, and ODS is a highly respected name thanks to the number of digital transformation projects they’ve undertaken. This partnership will hasten the Kingdom’s growth into a manufacturing hub for the entire region.”
“Digital technologies will account for a significant portion of economic value over the next decade, a fact recognized by policies such as the UAE’s Operation 300bn and the second phase of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which was initiated in 2020. The force multiplier effect of AI, IIoT and cloud computing is already beginning to pay productivity and financial dividends for the industrial sector and AVEVA’s partnership with Obeikan Digital Solutions will elevate these efficiencies for sustainable and equitable growth across the region by synergizing digital solutions from AVEVA’s portfolio with the advanced skills of implementation available with ODS inside Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East,” said Dr Tariq Aslam, Head of MEA, AVEVA.
About Obeikan Investment Group
Obeikan Investment Group (OIG) is a family-run business, founded in 1982 by the Obeikan family with headquarters in Riyadh. OIG has operations across Middle East Africa and Europe with a strong foothold in manufacturing, packaging, education, and health care. On top of being the leading provider of fully integrated packaging solutions in the region, OIG had a growing focus on digital transformation providing B2B, B2C and B2G business and industrial solutions.
AVEVA, a global leader in industrial software, drives digital transformation for industrial organizations managing complex operational processes. Through Performance Intelligence, AVEVA connects the power of information and artificial intelligence (AI) with human insight, to enable faster and more accurate decision making, helping industries to boost operational delivery and sustainability. Our cloud-enabled data platform, combined with software that spans design, engineering and operations, asset performance, monitoring, and control solutions, delivers proven business value and outcomes to over 20,000 customers worldwide, supported by the largest industrial software ecosystem, including 5,500 partners and 5,700 certified developers. AVEVA is headquartered in Cambridge, UK, with over 6,000 employees at 90 locations in more than 40 countries. For more details visit: www.aveva.com
We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries.
We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values.
Elm, a pioneering company in digital solutions, has invested a stake in “Madar” entrepreneurial company, an affiliate of Obeikan Investment Group, which provides an innovative digital platform for managing logistics business, as part of its plan to support the entrepreneurial environment in the Kingdom.
Elm CEO, Dr. Abdul-Rahman bin Saad Al-Jadhi, said this move shows the company’s continuous pursuit of growth through alliances and acquisitions of entrepreneurial and creative companies, wholly or partially, and forming strategic relationships with them. The move also aims to achieve financial returns in line with the strategy of “Elm”, which seeks to contribute to building a local entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Dr. Al-Jadhi added that the company’s contribution will be through sharing capital and providing support for technical and practical expertise to ensure business sustainability in these pioneering projects. He pointed out that these investments, which the company is working on, contribute to creating a promising investment environment to support entrepreneurs in various technical fields and secure exit opportunities for founders in entrepreneurial companies.
Eng. Abdullah Al-Obeikan, CEO of Obeikan Investment Group, said: “In line with our group policy as a pioneering institution in digital transformation, which promotes industry and advances digital transformation in the Kingdom, we have developed the innovative digital platform “Madar”. It will be an integrated solution for managing supply chains, linking local companies and freight forwarders, which enables a comprehensive control in all stages of overall logistics services operations. This is achieved through the integration between automated vehicle tracking services, resource planning, and advanced systems features. The app allows tracking of shipments and electronic proof of delivery efficiently and safely, thus providing a complete control of performance, allowing monitoring and changing of quality standards, controlling costs, and developing companies’ operations.
“Madar” company provides many distinctive significant services. These include managing shipments and logistics processes for customers, by controlling scheduling and tracking of shipments through notifications in all stages of the transport process. Besides, the platform allows for selection among several shipping service providers, which enables managing the shipping process smoothly and accurately at the lowest possible cost. The company serves many major companies in the Kingdom, including Obeikan Investment Group that owns Madar as well as Saudi Aramco, and United Sugar Company.
Obeikan Investment Group, the largest Company operating in the manufacturing field, is a pioneering company in the field of digital transformation in the Kingdom and the Middle East. The Company develops software and digital applications in all industrial and commercial fields. It has developed and implemented many integrated digital solutions to manage manufacturing processes, supply chains, account management, and human resources. It utilizes the latest smart solutions available globally and best-in-class robotic systems.
It is noteworthy that “Elm” aims to contribute to accelerating economic growth through digitization processes. It is also working to present a road map and a clear plan that adopts necessary investment and cooperation as an approach to diversify the economy. This will create future opportunities to promote the development of small and medium enterprises and open new economic possibilities for a sustainable economy in the long term.
In an unprecedented success, Obeikan Investment Group “OIG” was crowned through three of its companies, winning the most prestigious quality award in the kingdom “King Abdulaziz Quality Award – KAQA” in its fifth round and for the second year in a row, and by this achievement, OIG now has six of its companies awarded the “KAQA”.
OIG was keen to continue its successful journey this year by winning the “KAQA” in three different categories, starting with “Obeikan Glass Company” – winner of the silver award in the category of large production enterprises, “Obeikan Commercial Printing” – winner of the bronze award in the category of medium production enterprises, and finally “Obeikan Graphic Center” – winner of the bronze award in the category of small production enterprises.
And preceded them in the fourth round of “KAQA”, “Obeikan SIG Combibloc” – winner of the golden award in the category of large production enterprises, “Obeikan Rigid Plastic” – winner of the silver award in the category of medium production enterprises, and “Obeikan Folding Cartoons” – winner of the bronze award in the category of medium production enterprises.
“Obeikan Investment Group is proud to attain this huge success, thanks to our people” Said The Chief Executive Officer of the group Eng. Abdullah Obeikan. And added; “We have been and will always keep striving for excellence and prosperity in OIG for our partners, customers, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”.
As part of its global expansion plans, and a strategy of diversification and scalability, Obeikan Investment Group “OIG” reached an agreement with its partner SIG Combibloc Group AG (SIG), for SIG to acquire full ownership of SIG Combibloc Obeikan Group (CBOB) after a remarkable joint venture partnership over the last nineteen years.
According to the agreement, Abdallah Obeikan, CEO – OIG, will be nominated for election to the board of directors of SIG, representing the Obeikan Family, also OIG will hold around 5% of the total shares in SIG, CEO – OIG, which makes Obeikan Investment Group the largest single shareholder within SIG globally. It is expected that this strategic move will help in rejuvenating Obeikan’s core packaging business, enabling Obeikan to continue as a key player in delivering integrated packaging solutions to MEA region, and with this global reach, accelerate the growing focus on digital business solutions.
It is worth mentioning that SIG is one of the largest systems and solutions provider for aseptic packaging in the world. The company offers packaging solutions for food and beverages companies, as well as provides spare parts, maintenance, training, digital, and other related services globally.
In line with Obeikan’s expansion plans and acknowledged partnerships, and in an unmatched step aiming for “health improvement” in the kingdom and the middle east, Obeikan digital solutions “ODS”, the technology arm, and the fast-growing subsidiary of Obeikan investment Group “OIG”, launched a partnership with Ada, the global health company, recognized by its core system that connects medical knowledge with intelligent technology to help all people actively manage their health and medical professionals to deliver effective care.
Ada’s technology draws upon best-in-class medical knowledge and a probabilistic reasoning engine, to provide trusted, relevant, actionable and effective medical guidance tailored to the needs of the local population. The new partnership will empower users to make more informed healthcare decisions while helping the existing healthcare landscape to provide more effective quality care.
This collaboration will allow Obeikan serve the Kingdom by positively impacting the health of 30M people in Saudi Arabia. Obeikan and Ada will work together to integrate their technologies in public and private healthcare systems across the region, providing trusted medical guidance that is relevant, actionable and effective.
In a first notion, a translated and localized version of Ada’s advanced symptom assessment and navigation solution will be integrated into TAJ Digital Health, an Obeikan telemedicine app company, becoming the world’s first third-party integration of this kind. Ada is being integrated natively with the TAJ mobile app through Ada’s Enterprise software development kit (SDK), with further functionality being planned for seamless care, including assessment handover to clinicians through an electronic health record (EHR) application programming interface (API) integration.
Eng. Abdallah Obeikan, Group CEO of Obeikan Investment Group said: “Bringing digital innovation to healthcare is a key part of Obeikan’s digital vision. Digital health pioneers such as Ada can make a huge difference in the region, and we are excited to be working with Ada to make its technology available to 30m people in Saudi Arabia and then to the wider population of 410m people in the MENA region.”
Daniel Nathrath, CEO and co-founder of Ada Health, said: “From the beginning, our team has been focused on how we can collaborate with organizations around the world to have the largest global impact and support better health outcomes for all. Our initial collaboration with Obeikan Group in Saudi Arabia is an opportunity for us to have an early impact, gather local insights and further evolve our solutions to support the needs of the broader region.”
In the greenest sense, this partnership is expected to transform the way healthcare operates in the kingdom and the middle east, adding value, and streamlining the health and lives of the people whom it serves.
About Ada Health
Ada is a global health company founded by doctors, scientists, and industry pioneers to create new possibilities for personal health. Ada’s core system connects medical knowledge with intelligent technology to help all people actively manage their health and medical professionals to deliver effective care. Ada is proud to collaborate with leading health systems and global non-profit organizations to carry out this vision. Ada has 10 million users worldwide and has completed 20 million assessments since its global launch in 2016. To learn more, visit https://ada.com
About TAJ
TAJ Digital Health is an Obeikan Digital Healthcare app company. Their mission is to be able to provide affordable, accessible and smart healthcare services for all. With the use of intelligent technologies and smart algorithms, they aim to create an affordable Digital Healthcare Platform which benefits a massive number of people who are seeking reliable healthcare at a reasonable cost. TAJ Digital Health was created with the potential to serve the social cause that revolves around the right to basic healthcare for all, by making it easy for each individual to access doctors and other healthcare services with great convenience.
(Dubai, 5 October 2020) Aljaied for Food Industries, a Libyan national company and a joint-venture with CO-RO, the leading provider of fruit-based soft drinks and more, has expanded its product portfolio with the addition of evaporated milk. The company has opted for SIG’s filling technology and recloseable combifitSmall carton packs – a market innovation in the Libyan market. The carton packs will be offered in three different volumes: 180ml, 200ml and 330ml and will be fitted with SIG’s recloseable combiSmart closure.
Hussein Issa, CEO at Aljaied for Food Industries, said: “In order to achieve the highest standards of excellence and to meet consumers’ needs for daily food commodities, our aim is to establish local factories to supply the Libyan market with international competitive products. This launch is the first to come from our partnership with SIG Combibloc Obeikan and we will add additional products to our portfolio as this collaboration expands. We are confident that evaporated milk in recloseable carton packs will offer our consumers a recognized added value. The carton pack is very easy to open and conveniently recloseable, differentiating it from the current products on the shelves.”
Abdelghany Eladib, Chief Operating Officer at SIG Combibloc Obeikan, one of the world’s leading systems and solutions provider for aseptic packaging and filling machines for food and beverages, said: “Evaporated milk in carton packs with closures is an innovation for the Libyan market. Previously, evaporated milk was mainly available in metal cans. Products which consumers have traditionally bought in standard metal cans will now be offered in carton packs with a closure. It is principally the quality aspects, such as the gentle treatment of the milk using the aseptic UHT process and the superior flavour resulting from it, the convenient handling and ease of transport, that make the aseptic carton pack more than just an alternative to cans. With the closure Libya is following the trend in other markets.
The milk can be neatly poured and conveniently portioned out directly from the carton pack. After use, the carton pack can be reclosed, so the product remains protected for re-use. This is extremely convenient for consumers. We are very proud that we have marked the beginning of our partnership with Aljaied with such innovation. This is the first step to a long-term collaboration and we are looking forward to grow this partnership.”
The closure is applied to the closed and sealed carton pack by an applicator after the aseptic filling process has taken place. There is no need for pre-perforation of the cardboard – the cutting ring in the flange slices through the coated cardboard cleanly and effortlessly with a single twist.
A global increase of shelf stable milk demand since COVID-19 pandemic
(Dubai, 13 July 2020) SIG Combibloc Obeikan, one of the world’s leading systems and solutions provider for aseptic packaging and filling machines for food and beverages, and Zaki Group, one of the leading food dairy and beverage companies in Iraq, launch the first UHT liquid dairy locally produced product filled in SIG’s 1 litre combidome carton pack in the Middle East and Africa region. The new premium family size pack under the “Qirat Iraq” brand will cater for 3 product categories: full fat, low fat and fat free white milk. This announcement represents a continuation of the group’s strategy after recently launching the first locally produced single serve dairy product in Iraq.
Bahaa Zeidan, General Manager, Zaki Group: “With our new packs, we are presenting UHT milk products that are unique and premium and shifting our strategy to cater to a rising demand in family size products in the market. SIG’s carton pack combidome is an innovative pack that looks and handles like a bottle, while at the same time offering all the benefits of a carton pack as far as environmental and logistical advantages are concerned. The aseptic process ensures that consumers can rely on high-quality, tasty beverages with all their natural nutrients, vitamins, flavour and colours. The carton structure blocks light and air, ensuring that products can be stored for a long time without refrigeration or preservatives. With this new market launch of milk beverages in combidome for the first time, we are marking a milestone in the Iraqi market with locally produced products. We are confident that by choosing combidome, we are setting ourselves up for clear differentiation in the dairy segment with high quality products specially localized for our customers”.
Zaki Group’s partnership with SIG Combibloc Obeikan has been growing over the years. The group benefits from the full flexibility of its existing lines with a vast
and varied portfolio that includes 13 single serve sizes (from 80ml-350ml), and 3 family size packs (500,750, 1,000ml).
Abdelghany Eladib, Chief Operating Officer, SIG Combibloc Obeikan: “Zaki Group is a partner that continues to grow and expand while launching new products that should be accompanied with the best innovative solutions. We have witnessed an increase in demand for family size shelf stable milk since the pandemic has started accompanied with an increased global demand1. As families are staying safe at home, purchases have been focused on shelve stocking for milk products.”
He adds: “We firmly believe combidome is an excellent fit for the company’s ideas. For the UHT filling of products, the packs must meet the highest requirements for sterile use, because germs can reproduce much more readily in a low-acid environment such as milk than they can in a product like juice. The filling machines for combidome and the corresponding carton packs take this into account, so manufacturers can flexibly fill all kinds of beverages”.
combidome, the carton bottle from SIG, combines the best features of a carton pack with the best features of a bottle, making it different from anything that has ever been seen before in food packaging. In 2014, the exceptional design of combidome has been recognised with one of the world’s most important design accolades: the iF Design Award. The carton pack’s remarkable design also creates numerous logistical advantages with which substantial savings can be achieved in total system costs.
(Dubai, 3 June 2020) SIG Combibloc Obeikan, one of the world’s leading systems and solutions provider for aseptic packaging and filling machines for food and beverages, and Zaki Group, one of the leading food dairy and beverage companies in the Iraq, launch a new range of flavoured milk including chocolate, banana, strawberry, caramel and fresh milk varieties under their brand ‘YOMME Abtalona” in SIG’s combiblocXSlim 150ml carton packs. The new products are the first aseptic milk locally produced in Iraq and will be the first range of a growing portfolio of flavoured milk released in the market.
Bahaa Zeidan, General Manager, Zaki Group, said: “We constantly focus on research and development to distinguish ourselves and to enable us to introduce new products based on consumer preferences and demand. “YOMME Abtalona” flavoured milk is a convenient snack that comes with a differentiated proposition. With this, we aim to respond to the trend in consuming out of home, on-the-go milk for consumers from different age groups. With the support from SIG Combibloc Obeikan throughout the whole process, the product innovation is now in the market.”
Abdelghany Eladib, Chief Operating Officer, SIG Combibloc Obeikan, said: “Dairy is a category, which is firmly rooted in Iraqi tradition and enjoyed greatly by consumers. It is a premium family drink not only for kids but for every age group looking for such flavoured milk which is not only nutritious and healthy but also offers a great taste. I am confident that this launch will have a great potential in the Iraqi market and with a variety of consumers.”
Mazoon Dairy, the largest integrated dairy company in the Sultanate of Oman, and SIG Combibloc Obeikan, one of the world’s leading systems and solutions providers for aseptic packaging and filling machines for food and beverages, have announced the launch of a full range of liquid dairy products in various combiblocSlimline and combiblocMini carton packs from SIG. This latest step marks another significant step closer to Mazoon Dairy’s goal in establishing the Sultanate as a self-sufficient dairy producer and a hub for food manufacturing, Mazoon Dairy takes advantage of the SIG’s flexible filling technology for different product categories including white milk, flavored milk and juice. These products will be available in four different volumes (150ml, 200ml, 250ml and 1,000ml) and various varieties: chocolate, banana and strawberry in the segment of flavored milk as well as orange, mango, guava, pomegranate, mixed berry and cocktail in the juice segment. This unique flexibility provided by SIG will give Mazoon product differentiation across its beverage categories to accommodate families as well as single users. Dr. Arjun Subramanian, CEO Mazoon Dairy, said: “This launch represents another milestone in our journey of growth. It brings us closer to our bigger goal of fulfilling our national vision for economic development by establishing a self-sufficient economy. Today we are offering the Omani and other regional markets a wider range of products that appeal to every age category, using the highest standards and best practices in the industry. This could not have been possible without the support of our partner, SIG Combibloc Obeikan.” Abdelghany Eladib, Chief Operating Officer SIG Combibloc Obeikan, said: “Oman currently imports 70% of its dairy products and Mazoon Dairy is determined to reduce this to 10%. We are honored to play a role in supporting the Sultanate and Mazoon Dairy’s mission in boosting local self-sufficiency and meeting rising demand. This also falls in line with our strategic expansion into the Sultanate of Oman. By providing the latest product innovations and efficient flexibility solutions, we look forward to continuing our partnership with Mazoon Dairy in their journey towards growth.”
Where Obeikan and SIG Combibloc collaborate with our customers to think creatively—even disruptively—about the food and beverage industry. Where brainstorms turn into next-generation products and packaging that respond to accelerating consumer demands for freshness, convenience, traceability and sustainability. Where our customers can acquire new production practices and technologies that enhance their consumer responsiveness and operational performance, carving out a competitive edge Where our customers’ promising product ideas can be polished into final concepts and field-tested faster than ever before.
